


Since First Year

by SJAandDWfan



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, HP!Glee, More characters and relationships to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-30
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-03 01:23:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1064015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SJAandDWfan/pseuds/SJAandDWfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But Santana already knows her. Dani Harper, Gryffindor's star chaser, and the girl that makes Santana's stomach dance and her heart soar like a pre-teen's, and has done ever since first year.</p><p>HP!Dantana with side Faberry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going Back To Hogwarts

**A/N: I know I’ve been absent for a loooooong time, but school and life in general got really tough for a while, but I won’t bore you with the details.**

**I thought I’d try HP!Glee for a change, since some of my favourite fics have that inspiration. I’ll probably post this on FF.net too (same username). The pairings will be Dantana and Faberry. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Brittana and they hold a very special place in my heart, but Dani is an amazing and underused character and I’m slightly in love/obsessed with Demi Lovato, so this one will be Dantana. I would love some suggestions as who to pair** **Brittany** **up with, guy or girl.** **J**

Santana remembers very clearly the day she got her Hogwarts letter. It was a Tuesday, in the summer holidays, she’d had toast for breakfast, and her mum had been complaining how she was going to have to find yet another school for Santana to attend come September.

 

“Honestly,” she’d sighed, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, _mija,_ why can’t you just stay put at a school for more than a year without getting kicked out?”

 

Santana had shrugged, “I don’t know, mami, maybe I’m a demigod, like in those Percy Jackson books.”

 

She’d said it to be funny; to ease the palpable tension in the room, but her mother had only glared at her, before the sound of the post arriving had distracted her. Santana had sighed unhappily and taken another bite of her toast. It wasn’t fair. She’d only looked at the bully and suddenly he was flying down the staircase as if he’d tripped on an invisible wire. Of course, he was convinced Santana had pushed him, and that was the end of that school. Santana had defended herself, of course, but it probably hadn’t helped that this school was the sixth she’d been to in as many years, and her main line of defence was maintaining, “It’s not like he died or anything.”

 

So that was why, when her mother had returned with a furrowed brow, handing a letter addressed to Santana in spiky green handwriting over, which said she had been accepted into a place called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and that she was magic, the only thing she could utter was, “I thought you said ‘witch’ was a bad word, mami.”

 

Now Santana is about to start her fifth year at Hogwarts, as a Prefect, no less, and she couldn’t be more excited to see all her friends and that crumbling old castle again. Stuffing a few muggle rations consisting of chewing gum, jelly beans (the perfectly normal-flavoured type) and a packet of strawberry laces for Brittany, she hears an indignant squawk from the cage on top of the dresser.

 

Santana turns to her Tawny owl Rafael (she’d had to give him a Spanish name) and laughs at the expression on his face.

 

“Relax, _mi cariño,_ ” she soothes, “I’m not gonna forget you!”

 

*****

The journey to platform nine and three-quarters is eventful, to say the least.

 

First of all, they’re five minutes on their way when Santana realises she _has_ forgotten Rafael and they arrive back home to find a seething bird still on top of Santana’s dresser. Next, they get stuck in traffic, and make it to King’s Cross Station at a quarter to eleven. Then there are a crowd of people by the barrier to the platform, so Santana has to wait until the crowd has thinned before she can make the run through the wall.

 

She boards the train at ten fifty-nine, and doesn’t even get to say goodbye to her mother.

 

She’s walking down a carriage when the train jerks into motion, unbalancing her so that she has to lean on her case in order to stay upright. She wobbles down the length of the train, trying to find the compartment where her friends are. She finally locates them near the back of the train, and heaves the sliding door aside with her free hand.

 

She’s immediately greeted by a flurry of hugs from her five best friends, and it knocks all the breath from her lungs. When the light from the window is finally un-obscured by the heads previously blocking it, Santana pulls back to greet each of her friends individually.

 

First, there’s Kurt, a slight, tall boy with perfectly coiffed hair, as always. He’s in Gryffindor with Rachel, a short brunette with big brown eyes and is the most determined person Santana knows, aside from herself. There are two blonde girls, Brittany and Quinn, aka Santana’s best-best friends. Quinn is in Ravenclaw, ‘the brainy bitch’ is what Santana affectionately calls her, and is easily the smartest person Santana knows. Brittany is probably the sweetest person in the world, a tall Hufflepuff with innocent blue eyes and a creative nature. Last is Mike Chang, Quinn’s fellow Ravenclaw and a brilliant seeker.

 

Not all of them play Quidditch; Rachel and Kurt prefer to cheer on from the sidelines, but the rest of them are in their respective house teams. Quinn’s a chaser on Mike’s team, and Brittany is also a chaser for Hufflepuff, and one of the best in the school, at that. Santana’s a beater. Not that that surprises her; she’s always been fond of hitting things with a bat (Rounders had been her favourite game at muggle school).

 

Brittany squeals and hugs Santana when she produces the strawberry laces, and the rest of the long journey is spent catching up (there’s only so much you can put into a letter) and munching on the food from the trolley. It feels great to be back with her friends, Santana thinks, as she gazes round at them. Although she’s somewhat nervous about taking her OWLs this year, she still thinks it’s going to be totally awesome.

 

When the train finally shudders to a stop at Hogsmeade Station, Santana gets up and stretches. She and her friends stuff as much food into their pockets as they can, and step off the train. Their bags and owls will be brought to their dorm rooms later. Santana grabs a carriage with Quinn and Brittany, while Mike, Rachel and Kurt take the next one, and Santana can see the Thestral’s skeletal figure illuminated by the moonlight.

 

*****

Santana also remembers very clearly the first time she saw Hogwarts castle. She'd been in one of those stupid little boats with Brittany and Quinn (who she had met on the train), and a girl with wide brown eyes and a blonde ponytail. As Santana had observed the girl, she could’ve sworn the girl’s hair had very briefly turned blue, before switching back to blonde. Putting it down to a trick of the light (or lack thereof), Santana  had turned her attention back to the front and gasped.

 

There in front of her, perched on a cliff, had been a huge stone castle. She'd exchanged impressed looks with Brittany and Quinn, and stared at the castle in awe. It was just so _big_ and grand, and as they'd gotten closer, Santana could see countless turrets and the grounds and… wow.

 

If she’d thought the outside of the castle was impressive, being inside and greeted by the Headmistress, a stern lady with grey hair scraped back into a bun under her pointed hat, was even more so. The Headmistress, Professor McGonagall, she said her name was, led the cluster of first years through a pair of massive wooden double doors into a vast hall. This hall had four long tables where the rest of the school was already seated. The older students had stared at them as they walked by, and Santana had scowled back at them. She was sure she saw one of them laugh at this.

 

They had been halted in front of a fifth table which marked the end of the hall, and Santana could just about see a three-legged wooden stool with an old, ragged hat perched upon it. There had been a pause, and then the hat had opened a tear in the fabric near the brim, and had started to sing.

 

Santana had been too shocked to remember the song, but it didn’t matter, because she was clapping along with the entire school afterwards, and Professor McGonagall had raised her hands for silence. A hush had fallen as she’d brought out a scroll and cleared her throat.

 

After a few names had been called, Santana had started to get the hang of this sorting thing. They put the hat on your head and it put you in one of four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin. Presently, Professor McGonagall had called out, “Quinn Fabray,” and Quinn had taken a shaky breath and walked forwards. The hat had barely touched Quinn’s head before it yelled, “Ravenclaw!” and one table erupted into cheers as Quinn made her way to sit with them.

 

A few sortings later and the name Danielle Harper was called. The girl Santana hadn’t known in the boat had stepped forwards, and the hat was on her head for about ten seconds before it sorted her into Gryffindor. Danielle Harper had smiled in relief, and sat down at the appropriate table.

 

All too soon, McGonagall had called “Santana Lopez,” and Santana had been walking forwards on shaky legs and sitting down on the stool. The hat had completely covered her eyes, and suddenly a voice had been whispering aloud in her ear.

 

“Hmmm,” it had said, “I’m not sure where to put you. There’s bravery in here, and defiance, but I also sense an edge, cunning and a sharp wit. You’ve seen things no eleven year old child should have seen, haven’t you?”

 

The hat had been scaring Santana at this point. How did it know about her father? Finally, the hat had said, “I think you’ll do well in… SLYTHERIN!”

 

The last word had been shouted to the entire school, and a table clad in green and silver had cheered. Santana, still in a daze, had stumbled over and sat down, watching Brittany be sorted into Hufflepuff. A boy with a Mohawk and the name of Noah Puckerman had been sorted into Slytherin, along with a short blonde named Kitty Wilde, but Santana had been looking over at her new friends at their own tables, feeling slightly wistful.

 

*****

The feast this year is spectacular, as always, and Santana eats up with Puck and Kitty, other members of the Quidditch team. Puck is the other beater in the team, and little Kitty is the seeker, and a great one at that. They’re the youngest players in the house team by far, and that fact makes Santana feel extremely proud.

 

It’s taken her a while to get used to Slytherin; there are some real douches in her house. But she hears it’s a lot better than it was ten or fifteen years ago. Apparently, there was a huge rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and to a slightly lesser extent, there still is. But all of Santana’s best friends are in other houses, so she guesses all four houses must have made some sort of progress.

 

After dinner she has to escort the new crop of Slytherins to their common room, but afterwards she meets up with her friends in an ancient classroom. It’s something they’ve been doing since they found it in their third year, and they’re almost certain they’re the only ones who know of its existence.

 

That is until a short blonde with wide brown eyes walks in.

 

Danielle Harper widens her eyes in surprise, “Sorry guys! I didn’t mean to-“

 

Rachel interrupts her. “It’s Okay, Dani,” she says to her fellow Gryffindor, “we were just talking. Come join us.”

 

Nervously, it seems, Dani walks over and sits by Rachel, who introduces her to everyone in the room, but Santana already knows her. Dani Harper, Gryffindor’s star chaser, and the girl that makes Santana’s stomach dance and her heart soar like a pre-teen’s, and has done ever since first year.

 

 **A/N: So what do you guys think? Should I continue? Who do you want to see** **Brittany** **with, because I have no clue. I know there’s not much Faberry in this chapter, but please bear with me. I promise I’ll make it worth the wait and if you guys want me to continue, I’ll try to update whenever I can** **J**

**Reviews are love, and I’m a very loving person! XXXXX**


	2. Early Mornings and Revelations

**A/N: Okay, to business! I’ve had a couple of suggestions on FF.Net as to who to pair Brittany with, and I think I’m gonna go with Mike, at least for now.**

Okay, so maybe Santana can’t claim to _know_ Dani, since they’ve only had a few conversations during class or a Quidditch match, but something about her has captured Santana completely. Maybe it was the intrigue of her blue hair in the boat, or maybe it’s the grace with which she flies, weaving between players and bludgers with ease. Maybe it’s the dimples in her cheeks and chin, or the way she grins with bright eyes when she laughs. Santana doesn’t really know. All she _does_ know is that she can’t stop staring.

 

“Santana?” Rachel’s voice breaks into her thoughts.

 

“What?” Santana snaps out of it just in time to catch a small smirk on Dani’s face. Crap; she’d been caught.

 

“I was just saying that I bet you can’t wait for the Quidditch season to start again,” Rachel continues, amused. Quinn looks at her with a knowing smile, and Santana kind of wants to slap both of them.

 

“Uh, yeah, I haven’t been able to play all summer. Y’know, muggle town,” she manages, determinedly avoiding Dani’s eyes.

 

Dani speaks up. “I was gonna go for an early morning practice tomorrow, get a head start. Do you want to, like, join me? About six-ish?”

 

Santana flails for a few seconds before nodding mutely. Dani smirks again, like she _knows_ what she does to Santana, and soon after, she excuses herself to bed. When Dani leaves the room, Santana lets out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding. Quinn is now openly laughing.

 

“Oh my God, Santana! You have no game,” she comments, still sniggering.

 

“Shut it, Fabray, before I tell everyone who you’ve got a huge crush on!” This makes Quinn pale, and everyone look around with interest. Santana knows she’s won, at least for now. “Besides,” she continues, “it’s not like it’s a date or anything.” Santana hates how disappointed she sounds.

 

“Santana, she wants to meet you, one on one. Even if it’s not a date, Dani still wants to get to know you,” Rachel interjects. Santana wishes the brunette would stop getting her hopes up. She shrugs.

 

“Whatever. I’m tired, you guys, I think I’m just gonna go to bed,”

 

As she leaves, Santana swears she can hear Rachel quizzing Quinn about her crush. She smirks.

 

*****

Santana’s up early the next morning; far too early for her liking. Still in a stupor, she throws on a pair of jeans and her warmest Slytherin jumper. Slipping her trainers on, and grabbing her Firebolt from under her bed, Santana sneaks out of her room and passes through an empty common room. It really is too early for this.

 

As she approaches the Quidditch pitch, she can see a lone figure zooming around fifty feet above her. Dani’s a blur, flying laps through the early morning gloom. Again, Santana can’t tear her eyes away.

 

Presently, Dani lands next to Santana, cheeks red and eyes sparkling from the chill. “Hi,” she greets cheerfully.

 

“Um, h-hi,” Santana kicks herself for stuttering, “You were amazing just then.”

 

Dani looks at her with amusement, “I was just warming up,”

 

Santana doesn’t need the cold to turn her cheeks red. “Still, you were great,” she mutters.

 

She knows Dani can sense her nerves, and Santana’s grateful when she suggests more laps to warm up. She swings a leg over her broom, and pushes off from the ground, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline course through her. Dani is alongside her, and they race a few laps of the pitch side by side. It feels so good to be flying again; since she lives in the middle of a muggle town, she can’t exactly get her Firebolt out and fly over the park with a beater’s bat. She’d been worried about losing her touch, but it all feels so familiar, like riding a bike.

 

She may, however, be letting Dani win on purpose.

 

The blonde raises her hand to signal a stop, and Santana pulls up in midair, hovering thirty feet above the dewy grass. Dani stops beside her, and they both just spend a minute catching their breath. Looking out over the grounds to the castle, Dani says, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah, it is,” Santana says. And okay, she knows it’s cheesy, but she’s not really talking about the castle. If Dani notices, she doesn’t let on; she just gazes at the view for a few more seconds before turning back to Santana.

 

“Know any tricks?”

 

“Of course,” Santana says, “but I’m not gonna show them to you.”

 

Dani pouts, and Santana just about melts. “Why not?”

 

“Uh, because they’re part of our game plan, and I can’t give our secrets away to the enemy!”

 

“So I’m the enemy?” Dani looks affronted, and Santana stammers, alarmed. After a few seconds, she notices Dani’s grinning at her, all pretence gone. Santana calms down somewhat when she realises Dani was joking, and curses herself for being so damn awkward around her.

 

Dani’s always had that effect on her.

 

*****

“Do you have a quill I can borrow? Mine got smashed.”

 

Those had been the first words Dani had said to her. Santana had been the last one into class during one Charms lesson in their first year, and the only spare seat was by her. Taking a deep breath and frowning at her nerves, Santana had sat down next to Dani, who had been rummaging in her bag before pulling out a shattered quill.

 

“Um, yeah, s-sure,” Santana had stuttered, handing the blonde a spare quill from her pocket.

 

“Thanks,” was all Dani had said, but it hadn’t mattered because she’d flashed that grin at Santana, and butterflies had sprung to life in her stomach.

 

Safe to say, she hadn’t learned anything in Charms that day.

 

*****

 

The next time they’d talked, Dani’s hair had been pink.

 

Santana, like the smooth talker she is, had blurted out in the corridor, “Why’s your hair pink?”

 

Passing her in the opposite direction, Dani had replied, “Felt like it,” and then she’d been out of sight before Santana could formulate a response beyond a slack jaw.

 

That had been halfway through their second year.

 

*****

Dani’s back to blonde now, but being a metamorphagus, it probably won’t stay that way for long. It’s one of the many things Santana likes about her; she never knows which colour Dani’s hair is going to be next. Last year, Dani had showed up after Christmas with purple hair, and Santana had just about died.

 

“I’ve got a trick,” Dani says.

 

“What is it?” Santana expects her to fly off and demonstrate.

 

She does _not_ expect to see Dani’s face screw up, almost like she’s about to cry.

 

Santana’s about to ask her what’s wrong when, starting from the roots, Dani’s hair turns green. She’s too shocked to respond for a second, and then she notices the silver streaks amongst the green. It clicks; Slytherin colours.

 

“What do you think would happen if I turned up to the Gryffindor-Slytherin game looking like this?” she smiles deviously.

 

“I think there would be a riot,” Santana answers honestly, allowing herself a smile.

 

“Cool,” Dani says, “I might just do that.”

 

She shakes her head, and her hair turns blonde again. She notices Santana’s stare, and she must misread it as envy, because she smiles proudly and says, “It’s a pretty cool party trick anyways.”

 

It’s then that Santana realises it’s a lot lighter, and as she checks her watch, she sees they only have another ten minutes before they should really head back inside. Absentmindedly wondering where all that time went, she points this out to Dani, who only says, “Race you to the castle?”

 

This time, Santana’s pretty sure Dani lets her win.

 

*****

“So, how was your date with Dani?” is the first thing Rachel asks when she sees Santana outside the Great Hall later that morning.

 

“It wasn’t a date, Rach!” Santana protests.

 

“Yeah, but you wish it was,” Quinn comments.

 

“One word, Quinn,” Santana says, “One word and I could ruin your life.”

 

Quinn shuts up, and once again, Rachel is intrigued.

 

“Come on, guys,” Brittany is the one who breaks the tension between the friends, “let’s just get some breakfast. We’re getting our timetables this morning, remember?”

 

They girls all nod, and when Mike and Kurt join them, enter the hall. Just as Santana is about to go in, she feels a hand on her arm, and turns around to see Quinn glaring at her.

 

“What?”

 

“Just because I told you who I like, doesn’t mean you can blackmail me, Santana!” Quinn hisses through gritted teeth.

 

“Quinn, I don’t care that you’re g-“

 

“I’m _not_!” Quinn insists, eyes darting, “Just because you’re comfortable with liking girls, doesn’t mean I am.”

 

“Who said anything about me liking girls?” Santana challenges.

 

Quinn rolls her eyes, “Please. You don’t have to be a genius to work it out. You’ve been practically in love with Dani since first year!”

 

It’s Santana’s turn to hiss. “I’m not in love with Dani! I just… um…”

 

Quinn shakes her head, “Come on, San. Admit it.”

 

Santana says nothing.

 

“Fine,” Quinn says, “be a coward. At least _I_ plan on telling Rachel how I feel about her. Eventually.”

 

And with that, she storms into the Great Hall. Suddenly, Santana isn’t hungry.

 

*****

Santana knows she should apologise to Quinn, but as the day wears on, her confidence wanes. It doesn’t help that Dani keeps distracting her with that smile. Santana’s pretty sure she sees Dani wink at her once after catching her staring. It’s not her fault Slytherin share a lot of their classes with Gryffindor. This can’t be happening, Santana thinks, why would Dani suddenly be showing interest in her?

 

Unless… Rachel.

 

Santana doesn’t know if she wants to strangle Rachel, or hug her.

 

It’s not like she’d ever have told Dani herself, she reasons.

 

*****

 

Santana’s always had a problem with not telling people how she really feels. She’d never told her father how much she loved him, and she never could. Not since that fateful day.

 

No-one knows about Santana’s father, not even Brittany and Quinn.

 

She’d been ten years old when she’d seen her father get stabbed on the street.

 

**A/N: So I wrote this pretty quickly, but I wanted to update as soon as possible, so I hope you like it. The whole Brittany/Mike thing will probably start in the next chapter, but it will only be a side ship, and I’m not sure how permanent it’ll be. Let me know what you thought of the new chapter :)** **  
**

**I’m hoping to update again tomorrow, but don’t hold me to that!**


	3. Hot and Cold

**A/N: Hey guys!** **So here we go again…**

**Oh, I forgot the disclaimer… again. Okay, well I don’t own any of the characters or the setting for this fic. If I did, Glee wouldn’t be wasting Demi’s time with what is essentially a background role with minimal singing. She and Naya would be the leads of every song and Santana and Dani would have a constantly developing relationship with many onscreen kisses.**

**Wow, that was therapeutic!**

By that afternoon, Santana’s mind is made up.

 

Quinn pretends not to notice her as she approaches, but Santana, undeterred, drops into the seat next to her at lunchtime. She gets a few glares, and even a, “go away Slytherin,” but she ignores them and just stares at Quinn until the blonde relents and looks round at her.

 

“What?” she snaps.

 

“I’m sorry,” Santana says simply, “I shouldn’t have used your trust against you.”

 

“So why did you?”

 

Damn. Quinn gets straight to the point. “Um… I guess I…”

 

Quinn smiles ruefully, like she gets it. “Because you’re scared, that’s why. You don’t want to admit that she terrifies you, so you’re a bitch just to make it feel normal.”

 

Santana can only nod, “I guess so,”

 

There’s a pause, and then Quinn says, “I understand, don’t worry. It’s scary, isn’t it?”

 

Santana knows they’re not talking about her anymore. She puts a hand on Quinn’s arm reassuringly.

 

“How long?” Quinn flinches at Santana’s question.

 

“How long what?”

 

“How long have you loved her? You never said when you told me,” Santana asks gently.

 

Quinn sighs, and looks down at her hands, which are clasped together tightly on the table, lunch forgotten, “About six months. You?”

 

And Santana knows she has to trust Quinn, “Since first year.”

 

Quinn lets out a low whistle, “Damn,” there’s a pause, and then she asks:

 

“Do you love Dani?”

 

Santana freezes. Her first thought is ‘no’, but then she thinks back to this morning; Dani’s smile and the glint in her eyes from beneath her temporarily green hair. She thinks back even further, to watching Dani flying during a game last year, and almost taking a bludger to the head for her lack of concentration. To that short exchange in the corridor during their second year about Dani’s pink hair that had made Santana’s stomach flip. To Dani’s shining brown eyes as she saw Hogwarts for the first time, and had brought a smile to Santana’s face just by the sheer beauty of that moment.

 

“I think so,” Santana whispers, after a while.

 

*****

Being a prefect has its privileges, Santana thinks. The respect from the younger students, or what passes for it anyway, the pride that she’d been chosen from all the Slytherin girls in her year.

 

And of course, the prefect’s bathroom.

 

After her talk with Quinn, Santana doesn’t quite know how she feels, so she decides a nice hot bath will help her unwind. So, that night, she makes her way to the prefect’s bathroom, which is mercifully unoccupied, and whispers the password, “Unicorn bubbles,” (which is a ridiculous password, by the way, but that doesn’t make it any less fun to say). As soon as she’s inside, she locks the door, and turns to the huge crevice in the floor, surrounded by several taps.

 

Deciding on trying a bit of everything, Santana takes great delight in running around the perimeter of the bath turning each of the taps. It makes her feel young for a second, almost like the first year girl she wishes she could have been.

 

*****

After that night, Santana hadn’t stopped crying for days. All she had been able to see was the body of her father, lying there in the alley, surrounded by a pool of blood. The image had been burned into her eyelids, so that every time she’d closed her eyes, there he was.

 

The police had never caught whoever had done it. It had been dark, and Santana’s incoherent description hadn’t been enough to make an identification. His wallet and wristwatch had been taken though, so it had been concluded as a mugging gone wrong.

 

It’s still a little fuzzy in Santana’s mind, but she remembers her mother had told her to go meet her father outside their block of flats in London (they’d since moved), and Santana had waited there for her father to come home from work. When he hadn’t, Santana had set off searching for him.

 

She’d rounded a corner, when movement in a nearby alley had caught her eye. She’d heard her father’s voice, pleading with a faceless person. She’d seen the flash of the blade a millisecond before it had entered his abdomen. She’d heard the sickening scream of pain as the knife had twisted and withdrawn, and the attacker’s heavy footsteps as they’d sprinted off into the night.

 

She’d heard the scream coming from her own mouth, and she hadn’t wanted to leave him, but Santana had run home to her mother, tears streaming down her face as she’d wailed something about blood on the knife and papi was falling.

 

Her father had bled out in that alley with no-one to hold.

 

*****

Santana knows it’s not her fault; she’d not known how bad it was, and her main priority had been for her mother to call the police. But it doesn’t make her feel any less guilty about the argument they’d had that morning, which had ended in Santana screaming, “I hate you,” at her father as he’d walked out the door.

*****

The bath finally run, Santana strips off her clothes and eases herself in. The hot water instantly relaxes her tense muscles, and she lets herself sink completely under the water. It’s pure bliss, and it washes her worries away, at least for now.

 

She lets her mind wander. First to Rachel, who seems oblivious to Quinn’s feelings but who has evidently said something to Dani about Santana (she has to find out what). Next to Kurt, who is so brave. He’s out already; has been since the middle of fourth year, and he doesn’t even get that much shit for it. Santana admires Kurt a lot, and she wishes she could talk to him about this, but he’ll probably just get Rachel involved and she doesn’t want to hand control of her love life to Rachel. That’s Quinn’s problem.

 

She thinks about Brittany, and Mike, and how she hasn’t seen much of them today. Hmmm, she’ll have to make up for that tomorrow. Lastly, her thoughts turn to Dani; her eyes, her smile, her voice, her body…

 

Santana’s eyes snap open. No; she it not going to go _there._ She’s pretty sure she’ll blush even more around her if she goes _there._

 

Santana thinks for a moment, then adds a blast of cold water to her bath.

 

*****

She makes sure to wait for Brittany in front of the Great Hall the next morning. She feels bad for not talking to her much the previous day, and wants to spend some quality time with her friend.

 

Something she doesn’t expect to see in Brittany walking down the corridor hand in hand with Mike, pulling him in for a kiss when she thinks no-one is looking. Santana watches them, open-mouthed, because she really didn’t see that one coming, then when Brittany and Mike don’t look like they’re planning on resurfacing anytime soon, she walks into the Great Hall to get her breakfast.

 

She’ll catch up with Britt later.

 

Her first lesson that day is Defence Against the Dark Arts, and this is one of the lessons that Slytherin have with Gryffindor. Santana gets there early, and to her surprise, when Dani enters, she drops into the seat beside her. Great; another day that Santana won’t learn anything.

 

“Hey,” Dani whispers to her when the Professor starts talking.

 

“Hi,” Santana whispers back, trying to smile at her without looking like an idiot. She doesn’t think it’s working.

 

Dani shuffles closer to her, “You smell good,” she comments.

 

Santana blushes, “I, um, used the prefect’s bathroom. Y’know, unwind a bit,” she blushes even more when she remembers the cold water she’d had to add to her bath.

 

“You’re red,” Dani says quietly, and Santana can _hear_ the smirk in her voice, “why have you gone red?”

 

“It’s hot in here,” Santana says, and _fuck_ if that isn’t the worst line ever, and Dani probably thinks she’s a weirdo because it’s actually freezing in the classroom.

 

She chances a quick look at Dani, who only raises her eyebrows. The blonde very obviously checks Santana out, then idly says, “Must be because you’re here.”

 

Santana’s floored, because now Dani’s openly _flirting_ with her and help, she has no idea how to respond. Thankfully, she doesn’t have to, because the Professor tells them to pair up and practice the spell he’s been talking about for the last five minutes and Santana hasn’t heard a word of.

 

Rachel and Kurt have paired themselves together, and Dani’s looking at her expectantly, so Santana nervously joins her in a corner of the classroom.

 

“Any idea what we’re supposed to be doing?” Dani asks.

 

Santana looks over to the blackboard, “Um, the Patronus charm,” she reads the writing.

 

Right, the Patronus is the one that you have to find a happy memory for or something. And one you have to have complete concentration for. She’s fucked, then.

 

Santana makes a few feeble attempts (nothing happens), and then lets Dani have a turn. The blonde closes her eyes, and she’s perfectly still. Then she mumbles “Expecto Patronum,” and manages a dense sliver mist, which attracts everyone’s attention.

 

“Brilliant first attempt!” says the Professor, “Five points to Gryffindor!”

 

There’s a groan from Puck and Kitty. They, too, already know Dani from the Quidditch pitch.

 

“How did you do that?” Santana asks Dani.

 

Dani hums, “Not sure, it usually works better than that,”

 

“You mean you’ve tried it before?”

 

Dani nods, “Yeah, I’ve managed a corporeal Patronus before now. I guess I’m out of practice.”

 

Santana just stares. “I can’t even get anything,” she says.

 

“Let me help you,” Dani offers, and moves to stand behind Santana. Resting her chin on Santana’s shoulder, Dani says softly, “You have to pick a really happy memory, like, the happiest you’ve ever been in your life, and hold onto it for all you’re worth. Focus on it, and it should work.”

 

Slowly, Dani’s hand trails down Santana’s left arm before taking her wand hand and raising it to shoulder height. Keeping her hand where it is, she whispers into Santana’s ear, “It helps if you close your eyes,” and Santana shivers.

 

It’s not fair, it’s _so_ not fair, because Dani’s using the oldest trick in the book, and sure enough, Santana’s body is betraying her. She can feel Dani pressed against her back, and when she wraps her free arm around Santana’s waist, it’s all she can do to stop her knees from buckling.

 

Santana tries to conjure the patronus, she really does. But she still can’t, and she’s not at all surprised. For it to work, she needs complete focus, and with the way Dani’s pressed against her, focus is never going to be an option.

 

When the bell rings to signal the end of class, Santana is torn between being relieved and being very disappointed.

 

*****

Rachel corners her as soon as she’s alone.

 

She drags Santana into an alcove of the hallway, a grin on her face.

 

“I think Dani likes you!” she squeals excitedly, “And I know for a fact you like her.”

 

“How did you know? Who told you?”

 

Rachel rolls her eyes, “Come on, Santana, no-one had to tell me. But my suspicions were confirmed the other day when Dani walked into that classroom we were in. You went from being Santana to a shy little girl in seconds. It was so cute!” Rachel gushes.

 

“What did you say to her?” Santana demands, “Because all I know is in the space of two days she’s gone from paying no attention whatsoever to me to…well, what just happened!”

 

Rachel looks trapped, “I… well, I _may_ have told Dani that I think you like her,” she mumbles.

 

“ _Dios mío,_ Rachel,” Santana whisper-shouts, “ _Why_ would you do that?”

 

“Because,” Rachel says earnestly, “she told me she likes _you_!”

 

This stops Santana in her tracks. “Wait, what?”

 

Rachel looks visibly relieved that she won’t die today, and says, “She got in contact with me over the summer and said that she had a crush on you and that she was pretty sure you had a crush on her too because you haven’t stopped staring at her for the past five years and she asked me if I could find out so I invited her to our classroom that first night back so she could see for herself and-“

 

“You did _what_?” Santana interrupts, “You ‘invited’ her to our classroom? That’s why she asked me to practice Quidditch with her? Why she’s been so touchy-feely and flirty with me? Because she _knows_?”

 

Rachel nods, and Santana doesn’t know what to feel. She’s grateful, she guesses, but if Quinn, Rachel _and_ Dani had guessed her feelings, how many other people had?

 

Rachel is wise enough to change the subject, “Did you hear Brittany and Mike are going out?”

 

“Yeah, I saw them kissing this morning. Kinda came out of nowhere, right?”

 

Rachel shrugs, “I guess. But Mike’s liked her for a while.” She says nonchalantly.

 

Santana gapes at her, “Okay, do you know who _everyone_ likes?”

 

“No!” Rachel defends herself, “I don’t know who Quinn has a crush on. I wish I did though…” she trails off and Santana bites her own tongue. That’s for Quinn to share, not her.

 

“Do you think dating friends works?”

 

Rachel’s next question takes Santana by surprise. “I… I guess so,” she says, “It depends on the friend,” she notices the look on Rachel’s face. “Why do you ask?”

 

Rachel shakes her head and smiles brightly, but something about it seems forced, “No reason,” she chirps, but Santana knows her friend well. She’s not convinced, and she feels a spark of hope on Quinn’s behalf.

 

“So,” Rachel changes the subject yet again, “what are you going to do about Dani?”

 

Santana thinks for a moment, then smiles slowly. “We’re late,” she tells Rachel, and walks off, leaving the small brunette confused.

 

“Santana?”

 

Santana ignores her, and keeps walking. Dani’s testing her, she realises that now, but two can play at that game.

 

It’s time to see if Dani’s body betrays her just as much as Santana’s does.

 

**A/N: Well, there were quite a few revelations in that chapter, I think!**

**Another reason I wanted to update today is because I won’t be able to tomorrow. I had a day off school today, but I go back tomorrow, and after that I’m going to see Catching Fire with my Film Studies class so I won’t be back until late. I’ll probably update Wednesday though. :)**


	4. Catch Me

**A/N: Hey again. Like I said at the end of the last chapter, I’m really sorry I couldn’t update yesterday, but I’ve just about found time today. I want to say another huge thank you to everyone who’s reviewing and following and favouriting, especially over at FF.Net; it means a lot!**

**Disclaimer: I don’t own Glee or Hogwarts… and now I’m depressed.**

By the time last period Transfiguration class comes around, Santana has a game plan. Well, it’s not a plan, _per se,_ but it’s something: Something that allows Santana to gain the upper hand, which has belonged to Dani for the last five years. It’s not that Santana’s competitive or anything.

 

Except she really is.

 

She’s spent a few hours thinking about what she’ll do to get a reaction from Dani, and she purposefully arrives to the lesson after the blonde, just so she’s guaranteed a seat next to her.

 

“Hi,” she greets cheerfully, joining Dani on the back row.

 

Dani smiles in return, just a small one, but something inside Santana is sing-songing _I know that you know_ over and over. Surely Dani’s holding her reactions back, just like Santana’s been trying and failing to do.

 

The Professor’s started the talk on today’s lesson, but Santana has no intention of listening. Instead, she quietly shifts in her seat so that she’s a little closer to Dani. She watches the blonde in her peripheral vision; no reaction. Santana moves a little closer, so that she’s perched on the edge of the stool; maybe the tiniest smirk? Santana can’t really tell.

 

As quietly as she can, Santana moves her seat to the side. Now their arms and shoulders are brushing, and Santana tries not to shiver at the contact. Dani’s meant to be the one with the reaction to this! Santana turns her head to actually look at Dani; she’s definitely trying to hide a smile. Santana can hear her breathing.

 

Slowly, her left hand inches over to rest on top of Dani’s, and the blonde’s breath hitches. Surprised and smug at the same time, Santana loosely intertwines their fingers and she gently rubs her thumb over Dani’s skin. Dani looks at their hands, and then finally meets Santana’s eyes. Santana gives her an innocent smile, and tries to pull her hand away.

 

Dani doesn’t let her. Smiling broadly now, Santana turns her attention back to the Professor, and pretends to pay attention to her. She can feel Dani squeeze her hand and her heart melts a little at this unexpected innocence.

 

They stay that way until the end of the class.

 

*****

Santana’s still reeling from Dani’s wink as they’d said goodbye at the end of the class as she gets changed for the first Quidditch practice of the season. She’s got her game back; that’ll show Quinn.

 

She wonders how Quinn is doing with her Rachel-situation.

 

Firebolt in hand, she makes her way onto the pitch, along with the rest of the Slytherin team.

 

Kitty, of course, is the seeker, and Puck and Santana are the beaters, but the rest of the team are in their sixth or seventh year. Dave Karofsky is their keeper; a big hulking seventh year boy who’s deceptively quick. Their three chasers are Sebastian Smythe, a tall, thin sixth year; Matt Rutherford, a broad-shouldered seventh year; and their captain Adam Crawford, a blonde seventh year with a cunning mind. They’re a formidable team, Santana thinks.

 

However, just as they were discussing a few strategies Adam had devised over the summer, there’s a yell from Kitty:

 

“Spies!”

 

The spies in question are, in fact, the Gryffindor team striding across the pitch. Santana’s heart skips a beat when she sees Dani in her red and gold Quidditch uniform. It skips another when Dani spots her and gives a small wave.

 

Adam steps forward, “We have the pitch today, Elliot,”

 

Gryffindor’s captain and seeker steps forward, “No, we do. Look, we have a note,”

 

“So do we,” Adam shows him.

 

Elliot looks surprised, “Coach Sylvester must’ve double-booked us. Probably looking to stir up trouble between the houses.”

 

“Bitch,” mutters Adam, and then, “so what do we do?”

 

There’s thought for a few moments, and then Puck suggests, “How about a friendly match, y’know, to get us back into the groove?”

 

There’s a murmuring, and Santana can see a lot of people nodding. Both captains survey their teams, and then each other. They concede.

 

Someone goes to spread the word, while a couple of others fetch the various balls, and Santana takes this opportunity to make her way over to Dani.

 

“So,” Dani starts, “we’re playing against each other a lot sooner than expected, aren’t we?”

 

“Promise you won’t get mad when we win?” Santana teases.

 

Dani throws her head back and laughs loudly. It’s just about the most beautiful thing Santana’s ever seen. “Please! Besides, it’s just a friendly,”

 

“Hmmm,” says Santana, “something tells me it’s not going to be very friendly out there, so be careful. We don’t want anything to happen to that pretty face, do we?”

 

She says it with her tongue just about poking between her teeth, on the verge of completely dissolving into laughter, but somehow, it still sounds heartfelt.

 

*****

As the whistle blows, Santana’s streaking away to cover their chasers. Straight away, a bludger seeks out Sebastian, and Santana gives it a solid thwack to send it back to Gryffindor. She purposefully avoids sending it in Dani’s direction, even though that’s _technically_ what she’s supposed to be doing.

 

A large crowd has turned up to watch, and Santana can see her friends grouped together, cheering her on. Except Rachel and Kurt appear to be cheering for both sides; must be some sort of house loyalty, Santana guesses. Brittany and Mike are huddled together, starting their very own Slytherin chant and being very coupley indeed.

 

Delivering a heavy strike to another bludger and cueing it up for Puck to smash at the Elliot, Santana hears a cheer and realises Gryffindor have scored the first goal. She sees Dani raising her arms in triumph, and she wants to be annoyed, but it’s impossible.

 

After that, Santana always has half an eye on Dani. She can’t help it, but the blonde is incredible when she flies. She’s completely weightless, controlling the broom almost as if it were an extension of her own body. She ducks and weaves between Santana’s team mates, and Santana almost wants to laugh at the looks on their faces.

 

Half an hour in, and the score’s thirty points to twenty in favour of the reds. Dani has scored two of Gryffindor’s three goals, and now Santana is having a hard time keeping her concentration.

 

And that lack of concentration, just for a second, means she doesn’t see the bludger until it knocks her clean off her broom.

 

She hears a sickening crunch in her right arm, and then she’s free falling through the air, grabbing desperately at her broom with her left hand, to no avail.

 

She feels an impact, but it can’t be the ground. It’s too soft. Then, a second later, she feels another impact which is definitely the ground.

 

After that, Santana blacks out.

 

*****

When she comes to, Santana’s in the hospital wing, lying in one of their narrow beds. She groans, and hears a voice from next to her.

 

“Oh my God, you’re alive!”

 

“Of course she’s alive, Miss Harper,” a voice Santana recognises as Madame Pomfrey’s approaches, “she just broke her arm, that’s all. It’s all fixed now.”

 

“Still, she fell so fast, and when she passed out, I thought…” Dani garbles, and now that Santana’s vision is more focused, she can see that Dani’s actually been crying. She’s _never_ seen Dani cry.

 

Madame Pomfrey smiles at Dani, “If you hadn’t broken her fall, I can assure you it would’ve been worse,”

 

Santana remembers the soft collision before she hit the ground, “That was you?” she asks Dani.

 

The blonde nods, “I saw you falling and I guess I got lucky. I only just got to you before we hit the ground.”

 

Santana is stunned, “Thank you,”

 

Dani shrugs, “It was a reflex,”

 

Santana smiles and relaxes into her bed. Dani starts to stand up, but Santana stops her with a hand on her wrist.

 

“Stay?”

 

*****

When they leave the hospital wing a short while later, it’s already dark outside. Dani and Santana walk down the deserted corridors in comfortable silence. Santana’s jubilant; Madame Pomfrey had said she could play tomorrow, and she doesn’t even have to wear a sling.

 

“Hey,” Dani’s whisper breaks the silence, “is that Rachel and Quinn over there?”

 

Santana looks to where Dani’s pointing and, sure enough, she can see Quinn and Rachel in the middle of a conversation at the end of the hall. She can’t hear what they’re saying, but by the looks of it, it’s a pretty intense discussion. Quinn’s gesticulating wildly, and Rachel appears to be listening to Quinn’s nervy ramblings.

 

Santana’s about to suggest they leave them to it, when Quinn steps forward and captures Rachel in a kiss.

 

She hears an intake of breath from beside her, and Santana turns to see Dani gaping at them. “Holy crap,” she breathes, “I never thought Quinn would make the first move.”

 

“Huh?” Santana asks, “Quinn’s likes Rachel for ages!”

 

“Really?” Dani says, “Cause Rachel told me she likes Quinn, but she didn’t think Quinn liked her back,”

 

Slowly, a smile spreads over Santana’s face. “Come on,” she says quietly to Dani, “they’ll work it out, I’m sure.”

 

They continue walking, and when they come to a halt outside the stretch of wall that marks the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Dani wraps her arms around Santana’s waist in a hug.

 

“I’m glad you’re okay,” she murmurs.

 

Santana hugs her back, “Thanks for catching me,”

 

Breaking apart, Dani snorts, “I didn’t exactly catch you, San,”

 

“You tried,” Santana reasons.

 

Dani’s silent for a second, and then she says, “Do you wanna do another early morning practice tomorrow?”

 

“Sure, I’d love that,” and Santana knows she can’t rush this, but part of her wants more than anything to kiss her. But it’s late, she’s tired, and she’ll see Dani first thing tomorrow so, for now anyway, she contents herself with another tight hug.

 

*****

Bright and early the next morning, Santana’s waiting for Dani on the Quidditch pitch where she took her fall yesterday. She’s nervous; she doesn’t know if it’s about falling again, or about Dani. Something had changed the previous day. Now Santana had an idea of just how much Dani might care for her.

 

Maybe it’s not just a crush for her, either.

 

Dani meets her a couple of minutes later, and suggests they can help each other out. Willing her mind not to go straight to the gutter, she waits for Dani to explain.

 

“I mean, you can dodge and defend like no one I’ve ever seen,” Dani says, “I only know how to attack.”

 

“You have literally the best agility of any player I’ve seen,” Santana tries not to gush, but she can’t help it.

 

“But that’s what I mean,” Dani continues, “maybe we can show each other some moves,”

 

 _I’ve got moves,_ Santana thinks, and instantly scolds herself. _Behave,_ she says in her head. Outwardly, she nods, and for the next half an hour they show each other some exercises and impart the knowledge they had on the best aversion and control techniques.

 

Santana knew she probably shouldn’t be giving away secrets, but it’s _Dani,_ and after everything, Santana knows no-one better to trust. Besides, the house rivalry didn’t mean much to her anyway.

 

Santana touches down after demonstrating a move, and just as she turns to spot Dani, the blonde is crashing into her, sending them both to the dewy ground. She can hear Dani groan from on top of her.

 

“Sorry,” she says, “God, I’m clumsy.”

 

Santana can’t believe it, “How is it that you’re so clumsy on the ground, but you’re the most beautiful flier I’ve ever seen?” Santana asks honesty.

 

“I am?” Dani’s smile is adorable, and Santana nods. The blonde pushes her weight up off of Santana and onto her arms, so she can get a good look at Santana. She smiles widely, and Santana’s heart beats faster. _This is it,_ she thinks, _this is finally the moment._

 

Dani, illuminated by the early morning sun warming the cold earth, with parted lips and hooded eyes, leans down…

 

…And whispers, “We’re late for breakfast,” in Santana’s ear.

 

Santana thinks she’s going to die of frustration, because _w_ hat a _tease_! She looks at Dani’s smug smile, and, powered by the residual adrenaline of flight, rolls the blonde onto her back, linking their hands above Dani’s head.

 

Now Santana’s on top; she’s got the upper hand that Dani stole back, and the look on Dani’s face shows this is what she wanted all along. For Santana to take charge.

 

“I don’t care,” Santana husks, and she knows there’s nothing else to say, not yet, and she drops her lips to Dani’s to meet her in a deep kiss. Dani responds enthusiastically, moaning as their lips brush before Santana kisses her again, slower this time.

 

It’s bliss, kissing Dani, and Santana can’t help but release a moan of her own when the tip of Dani’s tongue traces her lower lip. She parts her lips, and Dani’s tongue tentatively creeps into her mouth. Dani flips them back over, surprising Santana, and trails her lips down her neck, leaving Santana gasping for breath as she nips and licks her way to the neck of her jumper.

 

Dragging her back for another kiss, Santana squirms closer to Dani, and tangles her now free hands in the blonde hair she loves so much. Dani cradles her face and sucks on Santana’s bottom lip, and this is already getting _way_ out of hand.

 

Dani evidently thinks so too, because she breaks the kiss and leans their foreheads together, taking deep breaths. Her dark eyes meet Santana’s, and Santana gulps audibly.

 

“We should… we really _are_ late for breakfast now,” Dani says, moistening her lips.

 

“Suppose we should go then,” Santana sighs reluctantly.

 

Dani nods, and steals a quick kiss, before getting up and offering her hand to Santana. “Walk you to the Great Hall?

 

Santana laughs, “You’d better!”

 

Dani grins at her from beneath her messy hair, and it makes Santana’s stomach drop.

 

 _Such_ a tease.

 

**A/N: There you go, guys, I felt I should make it up to you for not updating yesterday, so you’ve got both Faberry and Dantana kisses :)** **  
**

**I am planning to write another chapter at least, sort of a what happens next scenario with both couples, so let me know if that’s something you want to see!**

**I’ll hopefully see you guys soon then :D**


	5. Patronuses and Practices

**A/N: Hey there guys :)** **I’m so so so sorry I haven’t updated in ages but, quite frankly, I had a shitty couple weeks. Then I figured this might help take my mind off my own problems for a while, and here I am.**

**P.S: I’m basically just making this fic up as I go, so… let’s see what happens, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: No, I don’t own either Hogwarts or Glee… le sigh.**

They walk to the castle to grab some toast, hands clasped together. Santana loves this simple intimacy, and is therefore disappointed when Dani drops her hand before they meet anyone. The blonde shoots her an unreadable look, and Santana’s not quite sure what to do.

 

She’s not quite sure yet if today is actually real-life, so she just gives Dani a smile before entering the Great Hall. She takes a few slices of toast and heads back to her dorm to get changed for lessons. It’s Friday today, so there’s only one more day of school to get through before the weekend.

 

Her first lesson is Alchemy, which, out of her friendship group, only her and Quinn take. She spots the Ravenclaw in her usual seat, and slides onto the stool next to her with a sly grin.

 

“So,” she starts, “you and Rachel. How’s that going?”

 

Quinn shrugs, but doesn’t meet Santana’s eyes, “No change really,” she says.

 

Santana rolls her eyes, “Cut the crap, Quinn. I saw you kiss her last night.”

 

Quinn’s eyes widen, “You did?”

 

“Yeah. Me and Dani were walking back from the hospital wing,” Santana gives her friend an impressed smile, “You got balls, Quinn. I never would’ve expected you to make a move.”

 

“I seem to remember telling you I planned on confessing to Rach eventually; it just happened a lot sooner that I expected,” Quinn allows herself a smile.

 

“Let me repeat the question, then: How’s that going?”

 

Quinn’s face breaks out into a shy grin, “Good,” she says, “I had no idea she liked me back.”

 

“According to Dani, for a while,” Santana recalls the information she received the previous night.

 

“Both of us were afraid of losing the friendship, I guess,” Quinn sighs, and honestly, she’s never looked happier.

 

Quinn appears to come to after a few seconds, and says, “What about you and Dani?”

 

Santana blushes, “Um, we kissed this morning,” Quinn gapes, “On the Quidditch pitch,” Santana continues quietly, unable to stop the spreading smile.

 

“Wow,” is all Quinn can say.

 

“Yeah. All in all, a pretty good twenty-four hours then?”

 

Quinn nods, still with this dreamy smile on her face, and Santana knows her friend is already whipped.

 

*****

“Hey,” she greets Dani in Charms, the rest of the class milling around and chatting as they wait for the Professor.

 

Dani whips her head around, with a panicked look on her face, “Santana, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings earlier when I let go of your hand; I wasn’t sure if you wanted people to know about us and so I wanted to be safe and-“

 

“It’s okay,” Santana soothes, cutting off Dani’s admittedly adorable rambling, “’Us’, huh?”

 

“Uh… I guess, I mean,” Dani takes a deep breath, and Santana likes the confident Dani, but she thinks she likes nervous Dani even more, “Will you… will you be my girlfriend?”

 

When Dani meets her eyes with that vulnerable look, Santana thinks her heart grows three sizes, “Of course I will! Do you really think I can refuse you anything?” she grins at the blonde.

 

Santana takes a seat next to her girlfriend (she has a _girlfriend_ ) as the Professor enters, and Dani’s smile is blinding. And beautiful.

 

“I know you’ve made a start on the Patronus Charm in Defence Against the Dark Arts,” begins Professor Flitwick (Santana thinks he must’ve been teaching here for _ages_ ), “but I’m also going to take you through it today in this lesson.”

 

He stands at the front of the classroom and surveys them all, “Now, the Patronus Charm is one of the trickiest spells out there, I think. You have to pick a very powerful, happy thought and concentrate on it for all you’re worth.”

 

Santana blushes and hides a smile at the memory of the last time she tried a Patronus. A quick look over at Dani confirms the blonde’s thoughts are the same. When they’re told to pair up, there’s no hesitation on Santana’s part. She and Dani find a quiet (ish) corner of the classroom, and Santana offers to go first.

 

She closes her eyes, and takes a breath to centre herself. _Find a memory,_ she thinks. _Got one._ Santana whispers the spell, and then suddenly there’s a bright light through her eyelids and she hears Dani gasp.

 

She cracks her eyes open, willing her concentration to stay, but as soon as she catches a glimpse of a silver animal, it flickers and fades away. There’s a pause, during which she meets Dani’s eyes, before the class bursts into cheers, led by Rachel and Kurt.

 

“Well done!” Professor Flitwick exclaims, “Ten points to Slytherin!” Santana can hear Puck and Kitty whooping from their end of the classroom, but she tunes them out. Dani’s staring at her in awe, and Santana feels a little self-conscious.

 

“That was incredible,” the blonde tells her after the class has gone back to their work.

 

“I didn’t see it,” Santana admits, “what was it?”

 

Dani smiles slowly, “It was a panther,”

 

Santana considers that; a panther. Sleek, quick, and powerful. Is that really her? She pushes the doubts away and smiles at her girlfriend, “Your turn,”

 

Dani nods, and rolls up the sleeves of her jumper. She closes her eyes, and Santana sees the ghost of a smile cross her lips. She looks so peaceful. She mouths, “Expecto Patronum,” and then there’s this silver mist pouring out from Dani’s wand tip. It hits the ground, and then a Unicorn rears its head. It becomes more defined, and Santana watches, dumbstruck, as the Patronus rears and gallops around the room. Everyone else’s feeble attempts disappear as Dani’s unicorn skids to a stop before dissolving into nothing.

 

Dani’s panting; the Patronus has taken a lot of effort. She opens her eyes and grins lazily at Santana, whose jaw is practically on the floor at this point. The entire class is silent.

 

It’s Professor Flitwick who breaks it; awarding twenty points to Gryffindor, but Santana doesn’t even care because Dani’s still grinning at her, chest rising and falling as she gets her breath back.

 

*****

Dani walks her to her next lesson, and Santana simultaneously loves that their hands keep brushing as they walk, and hates that she can’t quite find the courage to take Dani’s hand properly.

 

“What was your memory?” Dani asks, “Y’know, in class just now,”

 

Santana senses the vulnerability in her voice, and decides to answer completely honestly, “This morning,” she says quietly, “when we kissed on the Quidditch pitch. It sounds corny, but I’ve actually never been happier than in that moment.”

 

She keeps her eyes on the ground, but Santana swears she _feels_ Dani melt beside her, “Really?”

 

“Really,” Santana confirms, “what about you?”

 

“Oh, um,” Dani stutters, “I was thinking about a time last year… when we were in that Quidditch match. Do you remember?”

 

She does. It had been the final of the Quidditch Cup, between Slytherin and Gryffindor. The lions had come out on top; Dani being the one to score the winning goal. Santana’s heart sinks, “You were thinking about winning.”

 

“No!” Dani exclaims, panicking, “I was, um, thinking about when Puck sent that bludger my way, and I froze for a second. I thought I was gonna get knocked off my broom, but then you flew past and just knocked it to one of the other chasers. It was just so… simple, but…” the blonde struggles for her words, and Santana realises they’ve stopped walking.

 

Dani sighs at herself, and meets Santana’s eyes, “Long story short, that was when I realised I liked you… like, _really_ liked you,”

 

 _Oh,_ it clicks in Santana’s head. After that game, Dani must’ve spent hours analysing her feelings for Santana, replaying every exchange they’d had. She must’ve seen the way Santana behaved towards her, and gone to Rachel about her suspicions over the summer holidays. That’s why Dani had been so confident and flirty ever since they’d come back; Rachel had confirmed what she’d only dared to let herself believe.

 

Santana looks at Dani with a new understanding, before leaning in and kissing the blonde softly, cupping her face with her hands. Fuck it if they’re in the middle of a corridor. Dani’s hands come to rest at Santana’s waist, and it makes her shiver. Santana lightly nips Dani’s lower lip before pulling away. She keeps her hands where they were, and brushes her thumb over Dani’s cheek, just because she can. Santana thinks this might be her favourite kiss so far.

 

“Thank you,” Dani whispers.

 

*****

It takes a while, but Santana finally tracks Rachel down.

 

“Not so fast, Rach,” she calls, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder, “I need to know details.”

 

“Details?” Rachel asks.

 

“Yeah. You and Quinn last night, I saw it.”

 

“Oh,” is all Rachel can say for a moment, then; “She kissed me,”

 

“And you kissed back, don’t pretend you didn’t,” Santana laughs, “So that’s why you were asking those weird questions the other day, about dating friends! Wait, are you guys dating?”

 

“I don’t know,” Rachel shakes her head, “I’m afraid to ask,”

 

“Why?” Santana snorts, “Quinn’s already whipped,”

 

Rachel’s silent, and Santana sighs, “Look Rach,” she softens her voice, “if there’s one thing I’ve learned recently, it’s that this kind of thing is worth the risk, okay?”

 

The small girl nods, “Okay,”

 

Santana gives her friend a hug, “I know Quinn, Rachel. Trust me, that girl will do anything for you,”

 

As she turns to leave, Santana thinks that Rachel’s finally walking a little taller.

 

*****

“Morning,” Dani greets her on the Quidditch pitch bright and early the next day.

 

“It’s too early for this on a Saturday,” Santana grumbles as she reaches her girlfriend (she’ll never get tired of that word).

 

Dani wraps her arms around Santana’s waist, kissing her soundly. It leaves her breathless, and the blonde giggles as she draws away.

 

“Care to complain?” she asks.

 

“Nope, I’m good,” Santana replies, before connecting their lips again. It’s gentle, and slow, but Santana can almost feel a fire there, simmering quietly. She runs the tip of her tongue over Dani’s lips, and she parts them with a small gasp. As the kiss deepens, Santana can feel the fire burning hotter, and suddenly she’s moaning into Dani’s mouth and, _once again,_ this is escalating very quickly.

 

Santana slows the kiss before breaking it reluctantly, “I thought you wanted to practice,” she laughs.

 

Dani pouts adorably, (seriously, can this girl be anything other than adorable or sexy?), and says, “Maybe I just wanted to see my beautiful girlfriend as soon as possible,”

 

Santana’s heart flutters (nope, she’s _never_ going to get tired of that word), and she kisses the dimple on Dani’s cheek, unable to stop herself.

 

“Come on,” she says, “let’s get up in the air. I could do with a cooldown,” she raises an eyebrow at Dani, who looks extremely pleased with herself.

 

And perhaps as if she could do with a blast of cold air, too.

**A/N: There you go, folks. Again, I am so sorry to keep you guys waiting!**

**I would like to continue this whenever I can, so chuck suggestions at me and I might just use them. Like I said, I’m just making this up as I go along :)** **  
**

**Thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to review or follow or favourite, you have no idea how happy it makes me!**


	6. Green

**A/N: Hey there! Um… yeah, just have some free time so I thought I’d start writing and see what happens.**

**Alrighty then.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still still still don’t own glee or Harry Potter… believe me, you’d know if I did!**

Santana spends the rest of her morning with Dani, lying on the grass as far from the castle as they can get. It’s not that Santana’s scared someone will see them (she’s only a little bit nervous about that, actually) but it’s just so quiet here. She hears Dani sigh contentedly next to her, and Santana rolls over to face her girlfriend.

 

Dani smiles softly at her, “Hi,”

 

Santana leans forward and kisses her, just for a beat. She still can’t believe she gets to kiss Dani, to be with her like this. It’s all she’s wanted for the last five years.

 

*****

Okay, so maybe she hadn’t known she wanted to kiss Dani in first year, because the idea of kissing anyone in that way hadn’t really made sense to her until she’d been twelve or thirteen. But from that first time she’d seen Dani, she’d been strangely drawn to her. She still doesn’t know exactly why.

 

Either way, she still wonders how Dani figured out Santana’s feelings, along with Rachel, Quinn, and God only knows how many other people. Had she really been that obvious?

 

And Santana had thought she’d been subtle.

 

*****

“What are you thinking about?”

 

Dani’s question pulls her back to reality.

 

“You,” she answers honestly, smiling at the blonde, “I still can’t believe you feel the same way about me,”

 

“How can I not?” Dani says, reaching out to touch Santana’s cheek gently. Then: “How long have you felt this way about me?”

 

“Um, a while,” Santana says nervously. She doesn’t want to scare Dani off, but the way the blonde is looking at her tells her this isn’t a good enough answer, so she takes a deep breath and mumbles, “Since first year. But I didn’t realise why I was so drawn to you until the end of third year,”

 

She doesn’t look at Dani, and Dani doesn’t speak. Just when Santana’s beginning to panic and think she’s ruined everything, she feel’s someone take her hand and squeeze. Reluctantly, she looks over, and sees that Dani’s eyes are shining, like she can’t quite believe someone could feel that way.

 

When Santana just stares, confused, at her girlfriend, Dani shakes her head and shifts so that she’s leaning over her. She dips her head and kisses Santana deeply, and there’s something unspoken in this kiss; something Dani wants to say, but can’t quite bring herself to. She explores Santana’s mouth softly, almost like she’s trying to memorize every bit of her, and her hair tickles Santana’s face.

 

Santana brings her hands to frame Dani’s waist, and she clenches the material in her fists when Dani trails her tongue down her neck. Santana moans, and she tilts her head to give the blonde more room. She gasps when Dani bites down gently just above her collarbone, and her girlfriend soothes the bite with a kiss, before moving back up to Santana’s lips.

 

“Why does this always happen?” Santana whispers breathlessly against Dani’s lips.

 

“Why does what happen?”

 

Santana laughs, “I forget that we’ve literally been dating for twenty-four hours, and these kisses are far too hot for that,”

 

Dani cocks her head playfully, “Are you complaining?”

 

“Absolutely not,” Santana smiles, “But if we continue like this, I’m not gonna be able to stop myself,” she says, surprised at her boldness.

 

Dani smirks, “Hmmm, call it ‘animal magnetism’, I guess,” she says, planting a kiss at the corner of Santana’s mouth, “The last thing I want to do is rush you, in _anything,_ but you don’t have to feel like there’s a schedule, or a timeline you have to keep to,”

 

Santana nods, “Okay,”

 

“Oh, check it out,” Dani says, evidently remembering something. She sits up and tucks her hair behind her ear, smiling expectantly. And it’s then that Santana sees the green streak in her girlfriend’s hair.

 

“For Slytherin,” she explains, “Well, for you, actually,”

 

Santana’s speechless for a moment, before she wordlessly pulls Dani back down.

 

She rolls Dani onto her back, claiming her in a fierce kiss, the way she’s wanted to for years. She flicks her tongue against the blonde’s upper lip, and begins to pepper kisses all over Dani’s face and neck. She’s taking her time, enjoying herself, and her girlfriend is left panting beneath her.

 

“Wow,” she gasps, “can you say, ‘pleasant surprise’? You’ve wanted to do that for a while, I’m guessing,”

 

Santana chuckles and nods, brushing their lips together once more, before standing up and offering Dani a hand.

 

“Come on,” she says, “lunchtime!”

 

*****

Somehow, Dani persuades the Gryffindors to let Santana sit with her, Rachel and Kurt on their table. She gets a few strange and distrustful looks, but she really couldn’t care less.

 

“Hey guys,” Kurt looks between them, smirking, “had fun this morning?”

 

Rachel snorts, and Santana shoots Dani a confused look. It’s only then that she spots the leaves in her girlfriend’s hair, and Dani picks them out, grinning bashfully at her housemates. “Yep,” she grins, “tons!”

 

“How was your morning, Rachel?” Santana asks, “I don’t see Quinn anywhere,”

 

“It was great,” Rachel says, “but I think Quinn’s still in bed,”

 

Santana’s eyebrows shoot up, “ _Already_?”

 

Rachel’s eyes widen at what she just unintentionally insinuated, “No! Actually, Kurt and I have been planning a date for me to take Quinn on, and you know Quinn likes to sleep late, so… God, that came out wrong!”

 

“No shit, Rach,” Dani laughs, “So, what are you going to do on this date?”

 

“Um, I’m not gonna tell you, because Santana will obviously spill it to Quinn, and it’s meant to be a surprise,”

 

“But I wanna know!” Dani whines, pulling her puppy dog face, and Santana seriously doesn’t know how Rachel can resist that face, but she makes a ‘zipping her lips’ motion and folds her arms smugly.

 

Dani pouts, and lays her head on Santana’s shoulder, who feels electricity running through her veins at the contact.

 

Just then, Brittany storms into the Great Hall, spies Santana, and flops down next to her, burying her face in Santana’s neck. Santana can feel, rather than hear, her friend mumble something.

 

“What was that, Britt?”

 

Brittany raises her head, “Mike and I had a fight,” she confesses sadly.

 

“What about?”

 

“Just something stupid, but it’s our first fight and I don’t like fighting with people. They get mad at me and it’s horrible,” her blue eyes cloud with tears, and Santana pulls her friend in for a hug. She’s gotten far too caring lately.

 

“It’ll be okay, Britt,” she soothes, rubbing the girl’s back, “He’ll come around,”

 

Brittany sniffs and nods, noticing the food for the first time, and picking up a ham sandwich. Kurt smiles sympathetically at her, and just says, “Men, am I right?” which makes Brittany giggle.

 

Santana turns back to Dani, and is concerned to see that her smile has faded slightly.

 

*****

Quinn joins them eventually, still yawning, but she smiles warmly at them all and sits next to Rachel. For a while, they all just talk, and then Mike comes in, raking a hand through his short hair as he glances ruefully at Brittany, before taking a seat at the Ravenclaw table.

 

Dani’s still a little off, and it’s worrying Santana. She doesn’t know what she’s done, and she really wants to, so she asks Dani if she wants to go for a walk around the grounds.

 

The blonde agrees, and they set off.

 

As soon as they’re far enough away from the castle, Santana stops her girlfriend with a hand on each shoulder.

 

“Something’s wrong,” she says gently, “What is it?”

 

“Nothing,” Dani mumbles, but Santana lifts her chin so Dani has to look at her.

 

“Hey,” she coaxes, “you can tell me,”

 

Dani shuffles her feet for a second, then she blurts, “Maybe I was a bit… um, jealous,”

 

It takes a second, but it does eventually click in Santana’s head.

 

“What, of Brittany?”

 

Dani gives a tiny nod, and Santana’s never seen her so insecure; not even when the blonde asked Santana to be her girlfriend.

 

“Dani, listen to me. You have _nothing_ to worry about. Britt’s one of my best friends, that’s all she’ll ever be. Plus, she’s dating another one of my friends, and it’s not like she has any feelings for me either,” Santana says firmly, “ _You’re_ the only one I have eyes for,”

 

Dani gives her a small smile, “Okay. Sorry, I guess I just got insecure for a second. I can’t believe I get to call you mine, San, and I don’t want to lose you,”

 

“You’ll never lose me, and this probably sounds really forward but it’s true,” Santana pulls Dani to her and rests her chin on the blonde’s head.

 

“I love you,” Dani mumbles into Santana’s chest.

 

It takes a moment for those words to register in her brain, and by the time Santana realises that _Dani loves her,_ the blonde is pulling away, looking panicked.

 

“God, I’m sorry, Santana, um… I-“

 

Santana cuts her off with a kiss, burying her hands in blonde hair. She keeps kissing her until Dani relaxes, and she kisses her forehead as she pulls away.

 

“Don’t be sorry,” she whispers, “I love you too, Dani,”

 

Santana kisses her again, hot and messy, “No schedules, remember?” she gasps in between kisses. Dani sucks on her bottom lip, drawing a moan from Santana. The blonde’s hands move from Santana’s waist to her face, but there’s a small spark that zips through her body when one of Dani’s hands accidentally brushes her breast. She gasps against her girlfriend’s mouth.

 

“Sorry!” Dani exclaims, “I didn’t mean to do that…”

 

Santana just shakes her head and connects their lips again, “At least buy me dinner first, babe,” she jokes.

 

Dani hums, pleased, “’Babe’, I like that,” she mutters, pausing to look up through her eyelashes at Santana.

 

“I love you,” Santana breathes again, surprised at how easily those words roll off her tongue.

 

Dani grins at her, “I love you too, you don’t even know how much,”

 

“I think I’ve got a pretty good idea,” Santana murmurs affectionately, “you still up for that walk?”

 

“Sure,” Dani smiles, “let’s go,”

 

She reaches down and tangles their fingers together, pulling Santana along like an excited puppy. Santana smiles to herself, and makes a mental note to be aware that Dani appears to be a mood swinger. She just hopes that her girlfriend is a mostly happy/excited mood swinger.

 

She kisses Dani’s knuckles, unable to stop herself, and lets herself be dragged all over the grounds.

 

God, the things Santana does for love.

 

 **A/N: Okay, I’m tired now :)** **  
**

**I might update tomorrow if I get an idea for how to continue, but if not it’ll be whenever inspiration strikes.**

**Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me; I love you guys!**


	7. Snakes and Badgers

**A/N: Hey there :)** **  
**

**I thought it would be more interesting if I use a couple of time skips now, especially as we’re heading towards Christmas.**

**So I figured this chapter would take place in October, when I imagine the first Quidditch match would take place. If I’ve done the maths right, there are 6 games per year, so I’ve worked out a rough timetable for the matches.**

**Disclaimer: Don’t own either Glee or Hogwarts, blah blah blah…**

“We are so gonna beat you, Santana,” Brittany sing-songs at her from next to Mike, as she enters the Great Hall.

 

Santana just laughs, “In your dreams, Pierce!”

 

She sits down at the Slytherin table, already clad in her warm green jumper. It’s nearly the end of October, and this morning marks the first Quidditch game of the year. Santana can feel the tension in the room between the Hufflepuff and Slytherin tables. If truth be told, she’s really nervous about today. But the team have been training hard, and she’s been getting in a lot of extra practice with Dani almost every morning, so she’s still pretty confident in her abilities.

 

She hears a collective gasp, and whips her head round to look at the entrance to the Great Hall. There stands Dani, and Santana can just about make out a smug smile on her face as the blonde flounces over to the Gryffindor table.

 

Except she’s not completely blonde at the moment.

 

Dani has been wearing a single green streak in her hair for well over a month, Santana knows that, but now her girlfriend’s hair is striped with Slytherin green, making it very clear which team she’s supporting today. Santana feels a rush of excitement at this public support. They’re not ‘out’ as a couple yet, but that’s basically because no-one’s asked them if they’re together.

 

They’ve talked about this a few times, and they’ve decided that it’s nobody’s business and they’re not going to make a big deal of it, but at the same time, they’re not going to hide it. Santana’s mostly gotten over her nerves of being found out; she guesses Dani just puts her at ease. Still, she gets the feeling that Dani wants people to know about them. Santana does too, but there’s still just that one ounce of reservation that she can’t seem to shake, no matter how hard she tries.

 

It also helps that Rachel and Quinn are now a fully-fledged couple. The whole school knows about them, and no-one’s really batted an eyelid at the revelation. Santana’s proud of her friends, but she does wish they’d tone the PDA down a bit, for her own sanity.

 

She’s broken from her thoughts when she feels a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from behind. The giggle gives Dani away, and Santana relaxes into the soft body behind her. Dani presses a kiss to the side of her neck, her actions hidden by that eyecatching hair, and whispers, “You’re gonna win,” in her ear, before she leaves to find a seat with Rachel, Quinn and Kurt in the stands.

 

Santana doesn’t even bother to try to hide her smile.

 

*****

“You ready Lopez?”

 

Adam’s voice reaches her ears as Santana is helping to lace up Kitty’s hand guards.

 

“Yup,” she says, “just a second,” she ties off the laces, and picks up her Firebolt and her beater’s bat.

 

The team leave the changing room and troop out onto the pitch to the sound of tumultuous cheering from above. Santana looks up and sees her girlfriend stood with Rachel, Quinn and Kurt. Dani’s somehow got a hold of Santana’s Slytherin scarf, and is waving it above her head like a banner. Santana grins, and gives her a thumbs up.

 

As the snitch is released, Santana hears a surge in the cheering, and she just _knows_ Kitty’s eyes are following the path of the little winged ball. They are told to mount up, and once they are hovering in the air, the two bludgers are set free of their restraints. Santana watches the cannonball-sized forces of destruction and broken bones zoom off, and turns her eyes back to Professor Sylvester, who is holding the Quaffle above her head.

 

As soon as the ball is thrown, there is the expected mass of limbs speeding towards the general vicinity. Santana sticks around long enough to see that Sebastian has gained possession and then she flies off to cover him.

 

And not a moment too soon.

 

She deflects the bludger with ease, sending it back to one of Hufflepuff’s chasers, and Sebastian gets it past the yellow’s keeper to score ten points. Santana gives him a slap on the back, and darts off to intercept the other bludger heading towards Kitty.

 

*****

An hour later, and Slytherin are still in the lead, despite Brittany scoring all of Hufflepuff’s five goals. Santana’s getting a bit tired, but the adrenaline has long since taken over, so she doesn’t feel it. On the rare occasion that she’s stationary for a few seconds, her eyes automatically go to Dani, and the green hair never fails to put a smile on her face.

 

She kind of loves that her girlfriend’s a metamorphagus.

 

A bludger flies past her and Santana can see it has targeted Adam, who has the Quaffle. She leans forward and hurtles towards him, wielding her bat. She catches his eye, and Adam understands. He ducks and banks his broom as Santana swoops in and takes a swipe at the bludger. The bat finds its mark, and it zig-zags off towards Puck, who smashes it in Brittany’s direction. Santana scowls, but it’s not necessary; Brittany’s dodged it, and one of Hufflepuff’s beaters doesn’t quite pull his bat out in time. He’s knocked clean off his broom, and Santana almost feels sorry for him, because she knows what that feels like.

 

He only falls ten feet, and Madame Hooch is with him in an instant. A cheer from the crowd lets Santana know that he’s okay. She raises her bat in triumph when Adam scores, and now they’re leading seventy points to fifty.

 

All of a sudden, there’s an almighty cheer from the crowd, and Santana sees Marley Rose, Hufflepuff’s seeker, dive for the snitch. In an instant, Kitty’s there too, and the dive turns into a game of chicken, as the snitch darts a few feet above the ground.

 

Everyone, including the other players, watch with baited breath to see who’ll pull out of their dive first. Hufflepuff can’t win. They just can’t.

 

It’s Marley who yanks her broom level first. Kitty still has her hand outstretched, her fingers just brushing the wings of the snitch. She extends her arm even more, and then her fingers close around the golden ball, just a second before she face-plants the ground.

 

There’s a gasp from the crowd as the whistle blows, and Santana speeds over to where Kitty is crumpled in a heap. The little blonde is sitting up, clutching her head with one hand, but sure enough, her other hand is holding the snitch in the air.

 

“Are you okay?” Santana asks.

 

Kitty nods, and manages a smile that looks more like a grimace. They’ve won. Two hundred and twenty to Slytherin. Fifty to Hufflepuff.

 

Meanwhile, the spectators have spilled over the stands and onto the pitch, and the Slytherin team is being surrounded by a mass of green. Santana stands up as an ice pack arrives for Kitty – who seems to be none the worse from her crash landing – and sees Dani running towards her.

 

She catches her girlfriend, and gets a faceful of hair for her efforts, but as she eventually puts Dani back down, she is enveloped in a tight hug. “You were amazing!” Dani yells in her ear, to be heard above the din. Santana kisses the base of her neck, and she is finally released. She finds herself staring into Dani’s brown eyes, and a she feels a slow smile spread across her face.

 

Santana ‘oofs’ when Rachel almost rugby-tackles her. She hugs her friends, revelling in their win, and over Kurt’s shoulder, she can see Kitty being lifted up on Matt and Karofsky’s shoulders, the snitch still clutched triumphantly in her fist. Santana turns back to Dani, and, still caught up in the moment, and not caring what anyone might think, pulls the blonde closer by her ridiculous fluffy jumper (the only green clothing she has) and captures her in a kiss.

 

Dani kisses her back with no hesitation whatsoever, and finally, _finally,_ that slight reservation and doubt has gone. Dani pulls back, searching Santana’s eyes confusedly.

 

“I thought-“

 

“Nope,” Santana cuts her off, “I love you, I don’t give a fuck who knows, and you have to know how happy and proud I am to call you mine,”

 

Dani’s smile is blinding as she drags Santana into another kiss, throwing her arms around her neck. Santana wraps her arms around Dani’s waist, and she can hear some catcalls and whistling as people gradually realise what’s happening, but she really couldn’t care less.

 

Deciding that they can’t get too carried away on the pitch, Santana breaks the kiss and presses her lips to Dani’s forehead.

 

“I love you,” Dani sighs, eyes closed contentedly.

 

Even though Kurt is very obviously rolling his eyes at them, and half of the boys around them look like Christmas has come early, Santana still feels like it’s the first time Dani’s said those words to her. She remembers when Dani let it slip to her, weeks ago when they’d only just started dating, and even in that space of time they’ve both gotten so confident. It makes Santana’s heart swell with pride.

 

She looks over the top of Dani’s head and sees people clapping them, cheering for them, and Santana’s so glad this rash move has paid off. Nobody’s laughing, or booing, and it feels as if a huge weight has been lifted.

 

*****

“Do you think this is scary enough, babe?” Dani asks her, twirling on the spot.

 

The tattered grey dress swirls around her like smoke as Dani spins, giving a ghostly effect. Dani’s back-to-blonde hair is messy and tangled, and her pale makeup and dark eyes give her a seriously creepy vibe. She stops turning, and walks towards Santana, limping and dragging one leg behind her.

 

“Braaaaaains,” she rasps, holding her arms out in front of her. Santana laughs as she ducks out of the way, playfully running away from her girlfriend.

 

“Definitely,” Santana says, “what about me?”

 

She’s dressed in ragged clothes; a holey top and artistically ripped jeans. There are small metal rods magically attached to either side of her neck, and Dani has drawn stitches on her forehead to complete the look.

 

“Very monster-y,” the blonde assures her, “I still can’t believe we’re dressed as Frankenstein’s monster and a zombie for Halloween,”

 

“Why? We look awesome,” Santana says proudly.

 

Dani just smiles at her, “Come on, we’re going to be late for the party,”

 

*****

The Hogwarts Halloween party is in full swing by the time they arrive at the Great Hall a few minutes later. Santana can spot Kurt in the corner, dancing with a guy in the year below. Santana thinks his name is Blaine, but she doesn’t know that much about him. She’s just happy Kurt finally seems to be getting some action.

 

Speaking of which, Dani claps her hand over her mouth and points. Santana follows her direction, and sees Rachel and Quinn making out near them. No-one is really paying them any attention (although neither of them would care if anyone was), and Santana laughs at them.

 

“They seriously can’t keep their hands off each other, can they?” Dani asks.

 

Santana shakes her head, “Nope. And I thought _we_ were bad,”

 

“Oh, I’ll show you bad, but later,” Dani says casually, looking further into the hall and completely missing Santana’s wide eyes and open mouth, “do you know where the drinks are?”

 

Santana clears her throat, “Uh, I think they’re by the teacher’s table at the far end,” she says, suddenly needing one herself.

 

*****

Presently, they start dancing, and as she twirls Dani away from her, Santana catches people, boys and girls alike, staring at her girlfriend. Yeah, Dani even makes scary look sexy.

 

It gets even better when Dani pulls Santana closer so that they’re face to face. The blonde loops her arms around her waist as she moves her hips in time to the upbeat music, and Santana follows her girlfriend’s lead as her hands come up to frame Dani’s face. Everyone else around them is grinding together (Santana thinks the punch must be spiked), but she feels like her and Dani are almost in their own little bubble.

 

Santana reaches down to clasp Dani’s hand, and then she turns the blonde so that her back is against Santana’s front. She brings their joined hands to rest on Dani’s stomach as they dance, and they’re not even being _that_ obscene, but Santana can feel her cheeks flush as Dani bumps her hips backwards, grinning wickedly over her shoulder.

 

“You,” Santana whispers in her ear, “are evil,”

 

Dani grinds back with a bit more force, drawing a moan from Santana.

 

“You love me,” she says arrogantly, smiling innocently. She _has_ to know exactly what she does to Santana, she has to.

 

“Dani,” Santana breathes into the blonde’s ear, as she lays her head back on Santana’s shoulder, throat bared.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“We’re in public,”

 

“So?” Dani grins.

 

“So,” Santana says, trailing her lips down Dani’s exposed neck, “I don’t want our first time to be on a dance floor with everyone watching us, because I can never say no when it comes to you,”

 

Dani chuckles throatily, “Fair point,” she concedes, “shall we mingle instead?”

 

Santana nods, and Dani leads her over to where Brittany and Mike are talking. Santana’s just relieved that Dani’s gotten over her jealousy when it comes to Brittany. The two are good friends now, and it really does make life a lot easier.

 

“Hey guys,” Santana says as they approach the pair.

 

“You alright?” Brittany smirks at them, “You seemed pretty intense on the dance floor over there,”

 

“That?” Dani shrugs, “Oh, that’s not even half of what I can do,”

 

Once again, Santana’s jaw is on the floor, and she marvels at the mood her girlfriend is in tonight. She really is going to need a cold shower after this party. Brittany sees the expression on Santana’s face and bursts out laughing.

 

Dani throws Santana a wink, and Santana thinks it’s _really_ not fair that Dani is this sexy so effortlessly.

 

When Dani asks her if she wants to dance again, she is, Santana thinks, in so much trouble.

 

**A/N: Well, I hope you enjoyed that, because I just… hmm, not really sure if it was any good but I’ll post it anyway because I feel like I owed you guys another chapter.**

**The next chapter will be a Christmas-themed one, and I will post that either Monday or Tuesday; it depends whether I go to see Frozen on Monday or not if the weather disrupts the trains :)** **  
**

**Reviews are love!**

 


	8. Christmas

**A/N: Okay, first of all can I say that I never expected this story to be so successful, least of all get 70 reviews (which is a lot for me!). So thank you guys so much for taking the time to read and review this :)** **  
**

**This chapter is Christmas-themed, because I’m actually feeling Christmassy this year with my writing, so here we go…**

**Oh, a couple of you have pointed out that my page breaks aren’t showing up on the website. I don’t know why that is, but I’ll try to fix it** **J**

**Disclaimer: Don’t own, sadly.**

Santana’s freaking out.

 

She’s freaking out because it’s three days until Christmas and she still doesn’t know what to get Dani. Really, she has no idea. She’s never been in a relationship that’s lasted more than a month before, so she’s never had to buy a Christmas present for a girlfriend (or a boyfriend, back when she was kidding herself).

 

She must’ve snuck out to Hogsmeade four or five times in the last two weeks to try and find the perfect present, but she’s returned empty-handed every time. She’d sorted out presents for her mother and her friends long ago, but this is different. This is her _girlfriend,_ and Santana has to get this one right.

 

Dani will probably love anything Santana gets her; she’s not a materialistic person, Santana tries to rationalize, but it’s no use; it still matters.

 

Just then, she spies Quinn and Rachel walking along in front of her.

 

Santana’s in an alcove in one of the second-floor corridors, wracking her brain furiously, when she sees the couple. She jumps up and steps in front of them.

 

If she wasn’t so stressed, Santana would’ve laughed at the surprised shriek Rachel let out upon seeing her.

 

“Santana,” Quinn says, hand over her heart, “what are you doing?”

 

“Stressing,” Santana replies, “I have no idea what to get Dani for Christmas, I have three days to find something. What if I get something and she hates it? Then she’s gonna hate me and it’ll all go to shit-“

 

“Santana!” Rachel admonishes her, “Dani will love _anything,_ as long as it’s from you, okay?”

 

Santana opens her mouth to argue, but then Quinn jumps in, “Just get her something meaningful; maybe something close to her heart, or… or that means something special in your relationship. That’s what I’m getting for Rach,”

 

Rachel turns her head to Quinn in interest, “Ooh, what are you getting?”

 

Quinn smiles at her girlfriend, “I’m not telling you, baby; it won’t be a surprise otherwise,”

 

“Please?” Rachel begs. Then, she lowers her voice, “I’ll do that thing you really like,” she says suggestively.

 

Santana clears her throat, “I don’t need to hear it, you guys, I really don’t,”

 

“Right,” Quinn says, her voice a touch raspy (Santana does _not_ want to know), “like I said, get something meaningful, and she’ll love it,”

 

Santana nods, taking a deep breath, “Okay; meaningful. I can do that,”

 

She turns back to her friends, and suddenly notices the change in atmosphere. Rachel and Quinn are looking at each other like they’ve forgotten Santana’s standing right there, and she takes that as her cue to make a quick exit.

 

As she retreats, she hears a moan she’s pretty sure is Quinn’s.

 

She does _not_ want to know.

 

 *****

 

Two days.

 

It’s December 23rd, and Santana’s snuck out to Hogsmeade once again.

 

They should really tighten up the security on the castle; sneaking out is ridiculously easy.

 

Santana walks through the cold streets of the village, ducking into one shop after the other; always leaving without buying a thing. She tucks her hands more firmly into the pockets of her coat as she’s hit by a blast of icy air, and silently curses Britain and its weather.

 

She stamps her feet in an attempt to warm them up, and she’s about to give up completely when she sees a tiny shop tucked away in the corner of a side street. Intrigued, and not remembering the shop from any of her past visits, she grasps her wand in her pocket a bit tighter, and ventures over.

 

It’s small, very small, and the paint above the door is peeling, but Santana can just about make out the words, _Rosa’s Handmade Jewellery_ in silver cursive. Deciding she’s got nothing to lose, Santana pushes the door open and walks inside.

 

The shop really is tiny, but the walls and the several tables which litter the place are piled with bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings and suchlike; no two exactly the same. There’s no sign of “Rosa” anywhere, so Santana browses the jewellery.

 

It’s beautiful. Santana doesn’t know anything about crafting jewellery, but these all look professional. She’s just looking at a pair of owl earrings when she hears a door open behind her.

 

Santana spins around, whipping her wand out; but it’s just a little old lady.

 

“Rosa?” she asks tentatively.

 

“ _Sí,_ ”, she says, “ _Soy_ _Rosa_ _. ¿Cómo te llamas, chica?”_

_“Santana,”_ she replies, understanding the Spanish the woman speaks, _“Las joyas son hermosas,”_

Rosa smiles, _“Gracias, señorita,¿ te gustarías comprar una ?_ ˝

Santana nods, and it’s then that she sees a pendant hanging from a hook on a shelf. She takes a closer look, and sees it’s a silver quill, set in a heart, dangling from a black cord. The quill makes Santana think back to their very first conversation, if you could call asking for a spare quill a conversation. This must be what Quinn meant about finding something meaningful.

 

She turns to Rosa, pointing at the pendant, “This one,” she says, feeling the smile on her face and knowing it’s the right thing to get. She doesn’t know how there’s a perfect gift here just when she needed it, but if there’s one thing she’s learned during her time at Hogwarts; it’s that you shouldn’t expect a sane answer for everything.

 

She sees a sign that reads, _Para_ _grabar, simplememte preguntar._ Understanding it as an opportunity to engrave the gift, Santana asks the woman, _“¿Puedes escribir ‘te amo’ por favor?”_

Rosa smiles at Santana, and takes the pendant down off its hook. She gets her wand out, and within seconds, the words are etched flawlessly onto the heart, almost as if the quill had written them.

 

As Rosa bags the gift, she asks, _“¿Tu novio, Santana?”_

Santana shakes her head, _“No. Mi novia, Dani,”_

Rosa looks surprised for a second, and Santana holds her breath. The old woman had expected the gift to be for a boyfriend. Rosa’s old, and probably Catholic, and oh God what if she’s messed up?

 

But then Rosa smiles again, and squeezes Santana’s shoulder as she hands the present over, _“Buena suerte con tu novia, Santanita,”_ she says affectionately, _“Feliz Navidad,”_

_“Feliz Navidad,”_ Santana echoes, surprised and relieved that Rosa hasn’t thrown her out, screaming _“Diablo, Diablo,”_ after her.

 

She leaves the shop, pendant buried in her pocket, and she’s halfway back to Hogwarts before she realizes it’s started to snow.

 

 *****

 

On Christmas Eve, she meets Dani on the Quidditch pitch (it’s kind of become their thing). She’s pleasantly surprised to see the tips of Dani’s hair are pink. Again, it reminds her of past exchanges, and she’s hit with a wave of nostalgia as she greets her girlfriend with a kiss.

 

“Good evening, m’lady,” Dani says, as they sit down on the blanket Santana has laid out in the snow. Santana grins and presses another kiss to the blonde’s lips, unable to help herself. She sighs happily as they lay down, Dani immediately snuggling into Santana’s side.

 

 *****

 

Just this past weekend, Gryffindor had taken on Ravenclaw in one of the longest Quidditch matches Santana had ever seen. She remembers huddling with Kurt, Brittany and Rachel in the stands, laughing as Rachel cheered for both teams, unable to decide who she was supporting. Her girlfriend had been playing, but against her own house.

 

Brittany had obviously been cheering for Ravenclaw, since Mike is their seeker, and Santana had been cheering for Dani all the way through the match. After about three hours, Gryffindor had finally won by thirty points. In the end, Ravenclaw had been trailing by so much, that Mike had conceded defeat and made sure that Ravenclaw had had the last laugh by catching the snitch. Dani, of course, had left everyone standing still as she’d scored goal after goal, extending Gryffindor’s lead.

 

Her girlfriend had been completely spent after the game, falling asleep on Santana’s shoulder almost instantly afterwards. It had sent shivers down Santana’s spine, and Dani had looked so cute. Santana had known she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

 

 *****

 

“I didn’t see you yesterday,” Dani pouts, looking up at Santana.

 

“That’s because I made a trip into Hogsmeade,” she replies, trying to contain her excitement at the purchase she’s made.

 

“But the last school trip was two weeks ago,” Dani says, a slow smile spreading across her face.

 

Santana shrugs, smirking, “The security on the castle is actually terrible,”

 

Dani laughs, and lays her head back down on Santana’s chest, “Besides,” Santana continues, “I had to get your present,”

 

“So what did you get?” Dani asks.

 

Santana laughs, remembering Quinn and Rachel’s exchange from a couple of days prior, “It’s meant to be a surprise, babe,” she says.

 

“Come on,” Dani whines playfully, but Santana still shakes her head, grinning as she sees the blonde’s puppy-dog eyes make an appearance.

 

“Not gonna work, Dani,” she teases.

 

Dani smirks evilly, rolling so that she’s on top of Santana. She rests her chin on Santana’s chest, and watches as Santana blushes. She presses a kiss to Santana’s jaw, slow and deliberate. She kisses a trail up to Santana’s ear and back down again, moving down her neck and maddeningly avoiding her lips. It’s torturously slow, and Santana can’t help squirming a bit.

 

“I’m still not going to tell you,” she gasps as Dani nips at her collarbone.

 

“Fine,” says Dani, and then she’s next to Santana again, cuddling into her like she hasn’t just got Santana worked up for nothing.

 

“You’re evil,” Santana tells her, but there’s no bite. Dani just smiles, eyes closed.

 

“I know,”

 

 *****

 

“It’s Christmas! Wake up!”

 

Santana groans; Kitty’s voice is piercing in its volume.

 

Suddenly, the hangings around her bed are ripped aside and Kitty is standing there, clad in unicorn pajamas, staring expectantly at her.

 

“Get up,” she says.

 

Santana sits up, and nearly dislodges the present on the end of her bed. She takes a closer look, and sees it’s from her mother. She rips open the paper, and out falls a copy of “The Last Olympian”. Santana laughs; ever since the Percy Jackson comment all those years ago, her mother has bought her one of the books every Christmas. Also enclosed in the present is a tin of chocolate brownies, homemade by the smell. Santana eats one straight away, and then puts the lid back on. She’ll save the rest for later.

 

Pulling on a warm jumper and a pair of jeans, she pulls the bag of presents for her friends out from under her bed and walks downstairs. As she reaches the common room, she stops to check her watch: Seven in the morning.

 

Santana’s arranged to meet her friends in their deserted classroom at half-past, but she knows Dani will be there early, so she aims to be there for about ten past seven. The common room is pretty empty; a lot of kids have gone home for the holidays, but Santana and her friends always stay. There’s just something incredible about Hogwarts at Christmas.

 

Sure enough, by the time Santana reaches the classroom, her girlfriend is already waiting, sitting on one of the tables and swinging her legs. Santana stops in the doorway, and just admires the blonde for a second. Dani sees her, and flicks her gaze upwards as a smirk spreads across her face.

 

Santana looks up, and smiles as she spots a sprig of mistletoe hanging in the doorway.

 

“Hmmm,” she says, I wonder who put this here,”

 

Dani shrugs, her eyes giving her away, “Not sure. It was here when I arrived,”

 

She makes her way over to Santana, and wraps her arms around her waist. Santana gently drops the bag of presents, and brings her hands to Dani’s neck.

 

“Merry Christmas,” Dani says, and then she’s kissing Santana, soft and deep. It’s Santana’s favorite type of kiss, and she can feel herself melt into Dani’s body.

 

“You know, you didn’t need the mistletoe to get me to kiss you,” Santana says when they break apart.

 

Dani shrugs, “I like being festive, so sue me,”

 

They walk over to the table Dani had been occupying, and Dani takes her hand, “I wanted to give you your present before the others showed up,” she explains, taking a small package out of her bag, and handing it to Santana with a nervous smile.

 

Santana carefully unwraps the present, smiling at the broomstick keyring she uncovers. She sees there’s a key already on the chain, and she looks up at Dani for an explanation.

 

“It’s the spare key to my house,” Dani says hurriedly, “I thought, since we both go home for the summer, and I couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing you, you could come over whenever you want. And I realize you could just use floo powder or something, but I thought the key was a better idea than a flowerpot full of it, and the broomstick charm is a Firebolt, like your broom. I just, I love you so much and I couldn’t think of any other way to say that, so…”

 

She trails off as she realizes Santana’s smiling wordlessly, tearing up at this display of trust. Dani’s let her in, to both her house and her heart, and it touches Santana.

 

“You like it?” Dani asks.

 

“I love it,” Santana says, “I love _you,_ ”

 

She closes the distance between them and kisses the blonde gently, breaking away soon after. “I got you something too,” she whispers.

 

She takes the gift out of her bag, and Dani holds it reverently as she unwraps it. Santana’s heart is beating triple time; what if she doesn’t like it?

 

For a second, Dani says nothing. Santana can practically see the wheels turning in her head, and the second the memory clicks, the blonde meets her eyes.

 

“You remember?” she asks Santana quietly.

 

“I never forgot,” Santana answers honestly.

 

Dani lights up, and Santana knows her girlfriend has picked up enough Spanish to understand the inscription too, and she holds the pendant up.

 

“Put it on me?” she asks shyly.

 

Santana nods wordlessly, and waits for Dani to turn around as she does the clip up at the back. The blonde turns back around, admiring the silver heart that now rests over her own, “Thank you,” she whispers, “it’s amazing,”

 

Something has changed in the way they look at each other, Santana realizes, and her cheeks flare at the intimacy of the moment. Dani’s opening her mouth to speak when their friends come bustling in, brandishing presents at them.

 

Santana sighs, because _right now?_ But she’s glad to see them anyway, even though their timing sucks.

 

“Mistletoe, guys,” Dani warns them, and an awkward situation ensues when Kurt and Rachel enter together. Kurt pulls a face and settles on giving Rachel a peck on the cheek, mindful of the glare Quinn sends his way.

 

“Relax, Quinn, Rachel’s not his type,” Santana says, barely holding her laughter.

 

As they settle down to exchange gifts, Santana casts her eyes to Dani, and sees, with a jolt, that the look is still there. It sets her heart racing. It’s love, but it’s also something else, something more.

 

Dani wants her.

 

**A/N: There you go, obligatory Christmas chapter done haha.**

**I’m torn between making the next chapter M rated or keeping it T. What do you guys think? I’m comfortable writing it if that’s something you guys want to see.**

**Again, thank you so much for all the follows, favorites and reviews you guys have given; it makes me want to update every time :)**


	9. Let It Go

**A/N: Hey again :)** **  
**

**I asked what you thought at the end of the last chapter about making this chapter M rated, and it seems everyone is in favour, so okay!**

**This is actually my first time publishing anything above T, plus I don’t want an E rating on AO3, so I don’t think I’ll make it too explicit. I hope that’s okay.**

Well, Dani’s always wanted her; that much is obvious in the way she kisses Santana, always squirming as close as she can. It’s obvious in the little noises she makes at the back of her throat as she’s being kissed senseless. It’s obvious in the way she gently palms Santana’s breast under her white school shirt, as Santana’s head tips back to expose her neck to Dani.

 

It’s a familiar look, but new at the same time. Dani’s never looked at her with such unbridled lust and passion as in this moment. It sends a pulse straight through Santana, and she can feel her breath come heavier.

 

It finally occurs to Santana that there are other people in the room, so now might not be a good time to jump her girlfriend. Rachel is waffling on about the gift Quinn’s given her, but at the moment, Santana really couldn’t care less.

 

She meets Dani’s eyes again. _Later,_ she thinks.

 

*****

 

It’s not like they haven’t talked about sex. They have; Santana remembers the conversation they had about a month ago. They had both agreed to wait until it felt right, until it felt illogical to do anything else. Santana trusts Dani more than anyone, but she wants it to be special, and she knows that her girlfriend feels the same.

 

That evening, she and Dani take a walk through the grounds. It’s one of their favourite things to do, and some of their most meaningful moments have happened in these grounds, so it only seems fitting to tell Dani what she’s going to tell her out here.

 

Besides, no one at school knows this.

 

They come to a halt about halfway down the snowy hill that overlooks the lake, and Santana takes comfort from their interlaced fingers as she catches the blonde’s attention.

 

“Babe, can I talk to you about something?” she sees the worry in Dani’s eyes, and is quick to reassure her, “It’s nothing bad, but it is something important and something I really want to tell you,”

 

Dani nods to let Santana know she’s listening, and Santana tries to look her girlfriend in the eyes. Like she said, this is important.

 

“You know I never talk about… about my dad?” she asks tentatively.

 

Dani nods, “Rachel told me he, um,”

 

“Died, yes,” Santana finishes for her, “But I – I’ve never told anyone how, and it’s something that I’ve had to carry alone for five years, because I didn’t think I could trust anyone enough with it, but with you…” she trails off, and hopes Dani understands just how much she means to Santana, because that’s something she could never put into words.

 

“You can trust me,” Dani says, smiling tentatively at her, like she’s not entirely sure how to proceed.

 

“I know,” Santana smiles at her, “So, I was meant to be meeting my father outside our block of flats – we used to live in London – and he was late coming home from work. I wanted to make up for an argument we’d had, and I guess I couldn’t wait any longer, because I ran off to meet him,”

 

Dani’s listening intently, slowly stroking her thumb over Santana’s hand, and she’s glad for the comfort, “I heard my dad talking to someone, but he sounded panicked. He was pleading with this person, and then I saw him in this alley that led off the street. There was someone there with him, but I couldn’t see their face. They didn’t even speak, so I don’t know if it was a man or a woman. Anyway, this person, they… they stabbed him,”

 

Dani, having sensed where this was going, doesn’t gasp, or seem overly shocked. She simply nods, and continues brushing her thumb over Santana’s skin, “I ran,” Santana’s voice is choked, “I didn’t want to leave him, but I ran. And he bled out, alone. He – he was dead by the time the police got there, and they never caught...”

 

Santana trails off, teary-eyed. She has to keep it together.

 

Dani says nothing (really, what _could_ she say), and just pulls Santana into a hug. Santana burrows into the warmth of Dani’s body and she’s crying now, but it’s not the harsh wail her ten year old self cried. It’s therapeutic, and they’re tears of sadness, yes, but they’re also tears of relief; relief that she can finally fully open up to someone, and she’s so glad that that someone is Dani.

 

Dani draws back a fraction and presses a kiss to her forehead. “Come on,” she whispers, “it’s too cold out here,”

 

Santana nods, and gratefully nestles into her girlfriend as they start the trek back to the castle.

 

*****

 

They sleep together that night.

 

Not in a sexual way; there’s nothing more than the occasional soft kiss, but Dani fetches a few spare quilts and blankets for them to curl up under in their classroom. Santana lays her head on Dani’s chest, and takes comfort from the rhythmic rise and fall of her ribcage. One hand is still holding her girlfriend’s, and the other is splayed on the blonde’s chest, directly over her heart. Santana can feel the steady beat, and marvels at the fact that even though they want to take the next step together, this can still be purely comforting and maybe romantic, but not even remotely sexual.

 

Dani whispers nonsensical things into her hair, but just before Santana drifts off, she computes some of what the blonde is saying.

 

“Thank you for trusting me, Santana,” she says, “I love you,”

 

*****

 

When she wakes up to Dani snoring lightly, her blonde and pink hair tossed in every direction, Santana’s heart does a little flip. _So this is what it’s like to wake up next to someone,_ she thinks.

 

She could definitely get used to this.

 

After a few minutes, Dani stirs. Her brown eyes flutter open, and immediately find Santana’s.

 

“Good morning,” she says around a yawn, and Santana smiles at her before pecking her on the lips.

 

“Thank you,” Santana says.

 

“For what?”

 

“Being you,” Santana answers, “For not making anything weird, and for not rushing me,”

 

A slow smile spreads across Dani’s face, “Rushing you is the last thing I want to do,”

 

*****

 

A couple of days later, and Santana has found that a weight has been lifted. She’s not keeping this dark secret to herself anymore, and to have someone who knows and hasn’t run screaming is a huge relief. She feels lighter than she ever has, her patronus has gotten stronger, and so has her relationship with Dani.

 

Speaking of…

 

“Hey babe,” the blonde greets easily, slipping her hands around Santana’s waist from behind before she sits down for dinner. Since most people are absent from Hogwarts at Christmas, there’s just a single table for the students. Santana’s actually the only Slytherin still at the castle.

 

Dani climbs onto the bench next to her and kisses her on the cheek. Santana grins to herself; it’s little things like these that make her fall more and more in love with the blonde.

 

All through dinner, Dani’s shoulder brushes against her own, and even though there’s _definitely_ been more contact between them, this simple touch still sets her senses alive. Brittany and Mike retire early to bed, soon followed by Kurt. Quinn and Rachel are completely wrapped up in each other, figuratively and later, literally, so Santana and Dani take that as their cue to leave.

 

Dani walks Santana to her common room, as she usually does after the day of Santana’s Quidditch accident. Their hands find each others’ as soon as they stand up, and they don’t drop the contact all the way back. Dani kisses her goodbye, before she starts to turn away.

 

Santana doesn’t let her.

 

She pulls Dani back towards her, “Come inside,” she says quietly, hoping to convey her meaning.

 

Dani’s eyes widen. _Message received,_ Santana thinks.

 

“Are you sure?” Dani asks, searching Santana’s eyes.

 

“Yes,” she replies, without any hesitation, “I’m sure,”

 

****

 

There’s nobody in the common room, another thing Santana loves about the holidays. They have the place to themselves. She pulls Dani to a corridor that branches off into a dozen dorm rooms.

 

Santana stops at the one that says _Fifth Year Girls_ and pushes it open.

 

Once they’re inside, Dani wastes no time in pushing Santana against the closed door and kissing her hungrily. Pleasantly surprised, Santana parts her lips as Dani’s tongue snakes into her mouth. It’s not rough by any means, but it’s purposeful.

 

It’s Santana who makes the next move, pulling Dani’s jumper up over her head. Dani mirrors the action on her, and leaves open-mouthed kisses down her neck as she unbuttons Santana’s plain shirt. Santana steps forward so she can slip the garment off her shoulders, before tugging at the bottom of the blonde’s t-shirt.

 

Dani crosses her arms at the waist and pulls it off, and Santana watches the muscles in her stomach stretch. Her tongue flicks out to moisten her lips as she gazes at her girlfriend’s soft curves; the dip in her waist where her hands fit, almost like it was made for her.

 

They’ve seen each other in their bras before, but anything beyond this will be uncharted territory. Santana shucks her jeans off, and almost gets caught in the leg as she attempts to remove her shoes and fluffy winter socks. She blushes, but Dani laughs gently and tells her she’s “about the cutest thing” she’s ever seen.

 

The blonde kicks off more clothes until they’re both stood there in their underwear, and for a second they just look. Then, Dani launches herself at Santana and kisses her, hot and messy, as their hands explore. Dani lightly runs her fingernails up Santana’s spine, and she arches, gasping into her girlfriend’s mouth.

 

Dani’s hands come to a stop at the clasp of Santana’s bra.

 

“Is this okay?” she asks, pulling back far enough to look at her.

 

“Yes,” she breathes, “please, Dani,”

 

Dani flicks the clasp, and gently pulls the garment off. The bra drops to the ground, and Dani cups her breasts almost reverently, running her thumbs over stiff nipples and listening to Santana’s guttural moan.

 

“You’re so beautiful,” she breathes, as she brings their mouths together again. Santana walks them back to her bed, and allows herself to be pushed down onto the green covers. Dani sees where Santana’s eyes are, and smirks.

 

“You want this gone?” she asks, indicating her bra. Santana can only nod.

 

She doesn’t think she can tear her eyes away when the blonde pulls her bra off, revealing full breasts. Santana wordlessly tugs Dani down to her level, running her hands over Dani’s chest. Dani groans, and her fingers run through Santana’s hair.

 

Santana shuffles herself back so that they’re both lying down on her bed. Dani takes over again, running her hand down Santana’s body, between the valley of her breasts and over her stomach. Her fingers toy with the edge of Santana’s underwear.

 

“Please,” Santana’s not even ashamed of begging, she just needs her girlfriend _now._

 

A single finger runs over the length of her above the panties, and Santana takes a shuddering breath. Dani pulls the underwear off and discards it somewhere off the side of the bed, and Santana hears an intake of breath from her girlfriend as her fingers make contact with the wetness she finds.

 

She begins to move a single finger around, drawing a loud moan from Santana as she finds her clit. Presently, the digit slips inside, and they both gasp.

 

“Are you okay?” Dani asks again.

 

“Yeah,” Santana pants, “just keep going,”

 

Dani does as asked, sliding her finger in and out of Santana. Once she feels she can, the blonde adds a second finger, and it doesn’t take long before Santana’s muscles lock and her back arches off the bed, Dani watching her in silent wonder.

 

She comes with a muffled cry, and sees all-white for a few seconds. As she returns to her body, Santana’s limbs feel heavier than they did a few minutes ago, and she meets Dani’s eyes, darker than she’s ever seen them.

 

The blonde says, “That was – that was incredible,” and Santana blushes.

 

“Your turn,” she says, and somehow finds enough strength to flip their positions. She trails her lips all the way down Dani’s body, relishing the sounds Dani makes as she circles a nipple with her tongue.

 

She finds Dani soaking by the time she pulls the blonde’s underwear off, and still can’t quite believe that this is all for her, because of her. She ducks her head and licks between Dani’s legs, and the blonde cries out. It sends another pulse through Santana, and she keeps going, finding out the different reactions she gets from different things and what Dani seems to like most.

 

Her taste is intoxicating, and Santana doesn’t want to stop, not even when her girlfriend is climaxing and her legs trap Santana’s head. She wipes her mouth sheepishly as she crawls up the length of her girlfriend’s body, seeing her girlfriend’s hair splayed on the pillow, feeling Dani clutching at her hair as she drags Santana in for a kiss.

 

They’re both tired, and Santana collapses on top of Dani after a beat. The blonde kisses the top of her head. “You’re amazing, Santana, I love you so much,”

 

“I love you too,” Santana says softly, “That… was perfect,”

 

“Really?” Dani asks, and Santana can hear the insecurity in her girlfriend’s voice.

 

“Yes, it was perfect,” Santana breathes, “ _you_ were perfect,”

 

She can feel the blonde smiling into their next kiss, and contented, she pulls the covers up to cover them as she feels herself drifting off. It’s not even that late, but she’s just so warm, and  so comfortable, and before she knows it, she’s fast asleep.

 

**A/N: Was that okay, guys? I’m happy with it, so I hope it was alright.**

**Thank you so much for all your feedback; it’s amazing :)** **  
**

**I think there’s going to be a major time skip in the next chapter, but don’t hold me to that. After that, I’m not sure how to continue, but it’s rare that I even have a rough idea of how the next chapter’s going to pan out.**


	10. Crush

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the feedback on the last chapter; like I said, I haven’t really written M Rated stuff, so I wasn’t sure how good it was. But I’m glad I seem to have gotten the balance between cute and hot right :)** **  
**

**By the way, this chapter takes place in March.**

**Disclaimer: Don’t own Glee or Howgarts… it’s the sad truth, but there you go.**

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Santana yells.

 

Dani scowls defiantly back at her, arms crosses over her chest, “No, I guess I don’t. So enlighten me,”

 

Santana feels her heart sink. She and Dani are in the midst of their first real fight. Sure, they’ve disagreed over stuff before, but it’s never been like this. It’s never made Santana feel so angry – and yet so sad – at the same time. The way the blonde is looking at her… Santana’s never seen that expression on her girlfriend’s face before.

 

“Dani,” she pleads, “You have to believe me when I tell you that _nothing happened_ ,”

 

Dani blinks away tears, “So why did _she_ tell me-“

 

“Because she was _lying_!” Santana stresses, “she’s trying to break us up. She – she likes me and I told her nothing could ever happen between us and she, well, didn’t take it great…”

 

She takes a tentative step towards Dani, feeling a tug in her heart as the blonde flinches slightly.

 

“Please listen to me,” Santana says quietly, allowing the bottled-up emotion to creep into her voice. She’s been dating Dani for six months, and she’s not going to lose her now, “I have no feelings whatsoever for Elaine. I don’t even like her as a friend, okay?”

 

Dani slowly meets her eyes, her own clouded with tears. She has her arms wrapped around herself, physically trying to hold herself together.

 

“Elaine likes me, and she thought that if she could break us up, then she’d somehow have a chance with me,”

 

“She doesn’t?” Dani sniffs, finally starting to listen to her.

 

“Of course not,” Santana scoffs, “You want to know why?”

 

Dani nods, biting her lip as she wipes her nose on her sleeve.

 

“Because I already have the most beautiful, funny, sexy girlfriend in the whole world, and I’m completely and utterly in love with her,” Santana takes another step towards the blonde, relieved when Dani doesn’t shy away.

 

“She told me that you k-kissed her and told her she was prettier, and better for you than me, and I-“ Dani mutters.

 

“Believed her?” Santana asks gently, watching Dani nod ashamedly.

 

“I’m so sorry, Santana,” she says, tears streaming down her cheeks, “I know I shouldn’t have believed her, but, there’s always a part of me that thinks I’m going to lose you,”

 

“Hey,” Santana soothes, wrapping her arms around her unresisting girlfriend. She holds her tight, mumbling into her neck, “You’ll never lose me. I won’t let that happen,”

 

She pulls back and wipes away the tears that still linger on Dani’s face with her thumbs before kissing her soundly, needing to have that physicality with the blonde. Dani kisses her back fiercely, and Santana doesn’t care that they’re in a corridor that may not stay deserted for long, she has to feel Dani’s teeth grazing her lower lip, has to run her fingers through pink and blonde hair, has to feel soft hands roaming her body.

 

She kisses her again and again, savouring the taste of Dani’s mouth and the breathy moans she makes when Santana pushes her up against the stone wall of the corridor. She thinks how close she came to losing all of this, all because of one bullshitter with a crush. Pushing thoughts of seriously hurting Elaine to the back of her mind, Santana slips her tongue in between parted lips again and tunes the whole world out.

 

Dani turns them so now she’s the one in charge. As soon as Santana’s back hits the wall, the blonde attacks her neck with her teeth and tongue, leaving open-mouthed kisses down the column of her throat. She sucks, hard, on Santana’s pulse point, listening to her gasps as Dani marks her.

 

The blonde pulls back, panting. She runs a thumb reverently over the bruise forming on Santana’s neck. “Now that bitch knows you’re off-limits; you’re mine,”

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Santana says, still out of breath and quivering from her girlfriend’s ministrations, “I’m sorry for yelling,” she apologises.

 

“It’s okay,” Dani says, “I should’ve trusted you,”

 

“We all have our insecurities,” Santana comforts her.

 

“What’s yours?” Dani asks, eyes meeting Santana’s.

 

“Waking up, and finding the past six months have all been a dream,” Santana says, ducking her head and smiling embarrassedly.

 

Dani kisses her, softer this time. “You’re sweet,” she says, when she pulls away, “Are we okay?”

 

“Better than okay, babe,” Santana smiles down at her girlfriend, enjoying the reaction she always gets when she calls Dani ‘babe’, “I love you,” she reminds the blonde.

 

“I love you too,”

 

*****

 

“Hey, where were you guys?” Quinn asks them after dinner, “You missed lasagne,”

 

“Just sorting something out,” Dani replies easily, as she and Santana fall into step next to Quinn and Rachel.

 

“Was the thing Santana?” Rachel raises an eyebrow, “As she has a rather large mark on her neck,”

 

Santana blushes, and Dani looks smug.

 

As the four of them round a corner, Santana sees a tall, brunette Slytherin stop in her tracks. Her eyes darken menacingly as she notices Dani and Santana’s clasped hands.

 

They all come to a stop.

 

“Santana,” says the brunette.

 

“Elaine,” Santana replies curtly, feeling Dani grip her hand tighter.

 

Elaine sneers at Dani, “Didn’t believe me about your precious girlfriend, blondie?”

 

“Stupidly, at first, I did,” Dani bites back, “but then I realised you’re a bullshitting low-life who’s mad because she can’t have what she wants,”

 

Elaine’s eyes flash, “Watch it, freak,” she grits out.

 

Santana steps forwards, “Excuse me, bitch?” she asks, sugary sweet.

 

“You heard me,” Elaine snorts, “Your little girlfriend there, she’s a freak of nature, what with that wacky hair,”

 

“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Santana says, “especially coming from a whiny bridge troll such as yourself,”

 

Elaine’s face betrays hurt for a second before her features harden, but Santana feels no remorse for the girl standing in front of her. She deserves it.

 

“Dani is my girlfriend,” she says firmly, “you have no say in that, Elaine. Besides, her ‘wacky hair’ is _super_ sexy. Did you know it sometimes changes colour when she-“

 

“ _Santana,_ ” Dani hisses.

 

“Right, sorry,” Santana says, “Anyway, there’s no way I’m breaking up with her, especially over you,”

 

Elaine huffs, “Whatever. See you around, _freak,_ ” she spits, pushing past them as she storms off.

 

Rachel and Quinn turn to Santana, confused.

 

“What was that about?” Rachel asks.

 

“Elaine has a crush on Santana,” Dani sighs, “bitch doesn’t know when to back off,”

 

Santana kisses her girlfriend’s cheek, “Come on,” she says, dragging Dani by their joined hands.

 

“Where are we going?” Dani asks, puzzled.

 

“I want to see how many different colours I can make your hair go,” Santana grins evilly.

 

“Oh,” says Dani, a smile creeping onto her face, “ _Oh,_ ”

 

*****

 

“Unicorn bubbles,” Santana says, when they reach the door. It swings open, and she drags Dani inside.

 

She loves being a prefect, she really does.

 

She can’t believe she and Dani, in the months that they’ve been sleeping together, have never had sex in the prefect’s bathroom.

 

She locks the door behind her, making sure no-one else can get in, before she turns to face Dani.

 

She stalks towards Dani, and the blonde’s brow furrows in confusion when Santana walks right past her.

 

“Babe?” she asks.

 

Santana doesn’t reply, she just turns the taps on around the edge of the big crater in the floor, running clear water into the massive bath. It seems to click in Dani’s head, and she chuckles lowly.

 

“Awesome idea,” she says, when Santana stands up again.

 

Santana turns to find Dani’s lips assaulting her own almost immediately. She moans instinctively as Dani’s hands fist in her hair. Santana makes short work of Dani’s robe and Gryffindor jumper, discarding the clothes somewhere off to the side. She quickly unbuttons Dani’s shirt, even as her own clothes are removed.

 

By the time all the clothes have gone, the bath is run, and Santana reluctantly removes her hands from Dani’s bare breasts and leads her over to the water. They get in, and Santana’s eyes are immediately draws to the water droplets running down her girlfriend’s chest.

 

Santana ducks her head under the water, ghosting her hand down Dani’s stomach – just because she can – and kicks off from the bottom. Her head breaks the surface, and Dani smiles at the water running down her body. She tackles Santana backwards, submerging them both, and they come up for air laughing.

 

Then, the laughter dies down as Santana looks at her girlfriend’s soaked body through the steam rising from the surface of the water. This is the hottest she’s ever seen Dani, and the way the blonde is biting her lip as her eyes rake up and down Santana’s body tells her the feeling is mutual.

 

They almost launch themselves at each other, and as they meet in the middle, Santana’s mind goes blank. She’s kicking herself for not thinking of this sooner as Dani’s lips part underneath her own, their bodies sliding together.

 

Santana pins Dani against the side of the crevice, and slips a hand between their bodies. She bites back a comment about how wet Dani is (they’re underwater, for God’s sake), and eases two fingers straight into her girlfriend. Dani whimpers, and her head falls forward onto Santana’s shoulder as she starts to build the blonde higher and higher.

 

Dani flies higher and higher, and bites down on Santana’s shoulder as she finally breaks. Santana guides her through it, slowing her pace as Dani comes down from her high. She pulls back and notices, with a smirk, how dark her girlfriend’s hair is; almost black. Her normally brown eyes are the same, darkened with lust.

 

“One,” Santana says, pleased with herself.

 

Dani rolls her eyes, and moves her hands to Santana’s waist as she lifts her out of the water so that Santana’s sitting on the side. Dani swims between her legs, pushing them apart with her hands. She looks up through her eyelashes at Santana, smirking wickedly, and Santana’s still not prepared when Dani’s tongue makes contact with her centre.

 

She gasps, and arches her back, spreading her legs wider to give Dani more room. One hand steadies herself on the tiles, and the other flies to grip at Dani’s hair. She hears her girlfriend hiss in pleasurable pain, and Santana bucks her hips when Dani’s teeth scrape over her clit.

 

Dani dips her tongue inside, moaning, and the vibrations only serve to aid Santana, as her body trembles under Dani’s talented mouth.

 

“Please, baby, more,” Santana gasps breathlessly, and Dani listens to her, bringing up a thumb to draw tight circles around her clit. Santana feels the pressure build and build, and then her body goes taut, muscles freezing as she comes with a shout.

 

Dani licks her one last time, seemingly unable to stop herself, and Santana shudders as she gently pushes her girlfriend away. She drops back down into the water and kisses Dani deeply, groaning at the way she can taste herself on Dani’s tongue.

 

Dani seems surprised when Santana’s thigh comes up between her legs.

 

“Santana, what…”

 

“Shhh,” Santana pecks her lips, “I’ve only managed one colour so far; I’m not finished with you,”

 

She feels Dani quake against her as that realisation sets in. Santana smirks, lifting her girlfriend far enough out of the water so that she can wrap her lips around a wet nipple.

 

“I’m yours,”

 

**A/N: Oookay, I wasn’t expecting to write more smut in this chapter, buuuut it happened.**

**Alrighty then.**

**I have at least one more chapter in my head, so let me know how much more you want to read :)** **  
**

**Once again, thanks so much for all your reviews!**


	11. The Quidditch Cup

**A/N: Sorry I’ve been MIA for a few days; I have exams coming up and these next two weeks will be a very stressful time for me.**

**Anyway, this story has over 100 reviews! I never thought this would happen to one of my stories, so thank you guys so much :D**

**The main idea for this chapter was actually suggested by SmilerLovaticGleek, and I decided to add that to what I already had planned (plus continue that into the next chapter), so here goes.**

“Stop that,” Kurt tells Santana one Friday evening in June, “it’s annoying,”

 

Santana stops tapping her pen against the table, “Sorry,” she apologises.

 

“Nervous, babe?” Dani asks her, gently nudging her shoulder with her own. Santana nods. Tomorrow is the last Quidditch game of the season; Slytherin versus Gryffindor, and if Santana wasn’t nervous enough playing against her own girlfriend, neither team has lost a game this year. That means whoever wins this game wins the Quidditch cup.

 

Gryffindor won last year, and Santana knows the Lions are keen to repeat that victory, with the help of their star player Dani Harper. Santana’s own team are training furiously in between revision sessions for OWLs and NEWTs, and she wants to win too. She wants to win so badly, but she isn’t keen for Quidditch to come between her and Dani.

 

They’re in the library now; her, Dani, Kurt, Quinn, Rachel, Brittany and Mike, group-studying for Charms. Rachel and Quinn are testing each other, promising _this_ and _that_ whenever one of them gets a question right, and Kurt looks like he wants to vomit. He’s studying with Britt and Mike, trying to ease the tension between the two.

 

The couple had called it quits last month, and while they still all hang out together (they are friends, after all), it can be a bit awkward at times. Santana is sitting by Dani, poring over a textbook together. The blonde sighs dramatically and lays her head on Santana’s shoulder.

 

“It’s no use,” she huffs, “my brain can’t absorb any more!”

 

Santana kisses her forehead, trying to ignore the electricity that she always feels at even the slightest contact with Dani, and manages to pull half a smile from her.

 

“Sleep,” she advises, “I’ll wake you up when we’re going to leave,”

 

Dani nods absentmindedly, “I think I’m… I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a minute…”

 

Within five minutes, she’s sound asleep.

 

*****

 

Walking out onto the pitch the next day is a nervous affair. Santana is fuming, still replaying the argument she and Adam had just had in the changing rooms.

 

“I trust your loyalty lies with the Snakes, Santana,” he had barked at her as she was pulling on her robes.

 

“Of course,” she had frowned, “why wouldn’t it be?”

 

Adam had laughed, “Come on, Lopez. You girlfriend is playing against you. How do I know you won’t go easy on her?”

 

“You won’t,” Santana had replied stiffly, “but don’t for a second think that I don’t want to win this, because I _do,_ ”

 

“Good,” her captain had snarled, before sweeping out of the room, leaving Santana seething in his wake.

 

To make things worse, she spots Elaine sneering at her from the crowd.

 

Now, Santana tries to shake the violent thoughts from her mind as the Gryffindor team troop out onto the pitch. She catches sight of her girlfriend, and does a double-take.

 

Dani’s hair is green.

 

Well, green and silver.

 

Dani catches her eye and grins mischievously. It sends Santana into a tailspin of memories; of early morning Quidditch practices all those months ago, back when Dani had made her so nervous with those winks and flirty comments. Back when she’d started thinking she’d been in a dream, with questions of how she thought people would react if Dani turned up to the game like she has now. Santana remembers, but she hadn’t thought Dani would actually do it.

 

Dani remembers too, and it kind of makes Santana want to laugh and cry at the same time.

 

She hears, distantly, gasps of outrage from the Gryffindor stands, and howls of laughter from pretty much everybody else. The rest of the Gryffindor team are averting their eyes from their star player, embarrassed at this open act of defiance. Dani, to be honest, looks like she doesn’t really give a fuck, and Santana loves her for it.

 

The game starts, and from then on in, everything’s a blur of red and green. Santana darts from one side of the pitch to the other, deflecting bludgers towards Gryffindor. Never towards Dani, but always towards Gryffindor. Dani scores goals, but so do Slytherin’s chasers, and it is apparent that either the keepers of both teams really aren’t on form, or all of the chasers are playing to the limit of their abilities.

 

After an hour, the teams are tied with eighty points apiece. Santana’s arm is starting to tire, but she sucks it up and changes her grip to target a different set of muscles. She’s strong, Santana knows that, but she’s also human.

 

In the heat, everyone is covered with a light sheen of sweat, and the Quaffle slips out of someone’s grasp more than once, only to be picked up by the other team, and then they’re all flying to the _other_ end of the pitch.

 

They’ve been playing for three hours straight when she sees Dani fall.

 

Gryffindor are up, two hundred to one hundred and forty, and a bludger zips past Santana on its way to Sebastian, who’s in possession. She goes after it, but Puck gets there first, raising his bat and smashing it in the other direction. His eyes are focused on Santana’s girlfriend.

 

Too late Santana reacts, as she opens her mouth to warn Dani, who’s thirty feet away. As the bludger makes contact with her broomstick, the handle shatters, and Santana chokes back a scream as Dani, thrown, free-falls to the ground, sixty feet below.

 

Without making a conscious decision, Santana races after her girlfriend, abandoning all thoughts of the cup. Dani has a head start, but she’s got a Firebolt on her side. She hears the wind whistle in her ears, but all she’s focused on is Dani. She draws level about ten feet from the ground, and sticks an arm out to grab at Dani’s robes.

 

She just about manages to wrap her arms around Dani before everything goes black.

 

*****

 

Her head hurts.

 

She thinks she’s lying down. On a bed?

 

Groaning, Santana tries to open her eyes. She does it on the fifth attempt. Everything comes back to her in a rush, and she sits bolt upright. Immediately regretting it, and fighting the sudden wave of nausea, she tries to take in her surroundings.

 

She’s in the hospital wing. Again.

 

Santana looks to her left, and sees Dani asleep in the bed next to her. Her heart clenches at the bandage wrapped around her temples.

 

“Oh good,” Madame Pomfrey bustles over to her, “you’re awake,”

 

It’s only when she removes it that Santana realises she’s sporting a bandage too. “What happened?” she asks Madame Pomfrey.

 

“You both have concussions. Now lie back down, the game finished hours ago,” she admonishes.

 

“Is Dani okay?” Santana asks, “oh, and who won?”

 

Madame Pomfrey sighs when Santana doesn’t lie back down, “She’ll be fine, miss Lopez. And never fear, Slytherin won,”

 

“Oh,” Santana says. They won, but it’s a hollow victory.

 

“Lie down,” Madame Pomfrey says firmly.

 

Ignoring her, Santana gets unsteadily to her feet and collapses in the chair by Dani’s bed. Her hair is mousy-coloured, and it looks so strange compared to her usually vibrant locks. Santana takes a hold of her hand, and gently strokes the bandage over her girlfriend’s head.

 

Dani’s eyes flutter open as Santana’s lips brush against her forehead.

 

She widens her eyes as she realises where she is.

 

“Crap,” she mutters, “I promised myself I wouldn’t end up in here this year,”

 

And then she meets Santana’s eyes and manages a smile.

 

*****

 

They’re discharged from the hospital wing the next afternoon, good as new, and Dani wastes no time in picking a new hair colour. She goes through red, blue, and her usual blonde before settling on a caramel brown colour. With her newly-longer hair, she looks a bit different, and she immediately asks Santana’s opinion.

 

In a stupor, Santana thinks she just says, “Hot,”

 

Dani rolls her eyes good-naturedly, and laces their fingers together, as she pulls them towards the library.

 

“Noooo,” Santana whines, “I _just_ got rid of this headache, I don’t want it to come back,”

 

Dani kisses her then, all unbearably soft lips and small sighs, and Santana instantly forgets what she was complaining about.

 

She is _so_ whipped.

 

*****

 

“Are you sure?” Dani frets, “My mother isn’t exactly the most welcoming,”

 

“Then why did you give me a spare key if you didn’t want me to use it?” Santana asks, confused.

 

“No, I do want you there, I do… it’s just I’m not sure how she’ll react. She’s kind of… protective,” she says weakly, eyebrows knitted together.

 

“Hey,” Santana says gently, taking hold of her girlfriend’s hands, “it’s okay. I want to get to know her, and your dad,”

 

It’s the last day before they go home, and Dani’s arranged for Santana to spend two weeks at her house. Santana’s mother was hesitant, but eventually she agreed when she was sure that Dani’s parents would be there the whole time, which mortified Santana to no end.

 

Now, Dani’s panicking. She’s already voiced her worries that Santana’s going to break up with her if she doesn’t like her parents, which Santana had tried not to laugh at, because Dani’s eyes had actually welled up as she’d admitted it.

 

Just the idea of breaking up with Dani was unfathomable to Santana, and she’d made that known to Dani, over and over until she’d believed it.

 

The journey back to Kings Cross is uneventful. Santana doesn’t really know, she was asleep with her head in Dani’s lap for most of it, tired out from both her OWL examinations (she thinks they went pretty well) and from showing Dani just how much she means to her the night before (God, she loves the Room of Requirement).

 

Dani’s parents are waiting on the platform as they are sent through the wall together.

 

Her mother is about the same height as Dani; a blonde woman in a business suit. Dani’s already told her that she’s a muggle (Dani’s a half-blood), and thus has a ‘normal’ job. She looks stern, and Santana immediately blushes; it’s like she knows _exactly_ what they’ve been up to.

 

Dani’s father is tall and imposing, but his face is kind, and he gives Santana a small smile, recognising her from the photograph Dani sent of the two of them. He reaches out to shake Santana’s hand as they draw to a halt.

 

“Richard,” he introduces himself.

 

“Santana,” she says, giving him a nervous smile in return.

 

“So,” begins Dani’s mother, who’s name is apparently Kate, “are you the Santana that’s been defiling our daughter?”

 

Santana blanches, and Dani looks mortified, “Mum, this is my girlfriend, yes,” she hisses, cheeks red.

 

“Um, it’s lovely to meet you,” Santana says, voice shaking slightly as she extends a hand for the woman to shake.

 

“Hmmm,” is all Kate says.

 

She turns to leave, and Richard shoots Santana an apologetic look, “Terribly sorry,” he says, “I’m sure Kate didn’t mean to embarrass you,”

 

Santana can only nod, shell-shocked.

 

As they walk towards the exit, Dani worries her bottom lip with her teeth, “See?” she says, “you hate them,”

 

“No, I don’t,” Santana soothes, “your dad is fine, and I’m sure your mum will… get used to me,”

 

Dani doesn’t look convinced of her mother, but she clasps Santana’s hand tightly, “Well, she’d better, because I plan on keeping you around for a while,” she jokes.

 

“A _while_?” Santana gasps, mock-offended, “ _Danielle_ ,”

 

Dani groans, “Please don’t,” she laughs, “you’re worse than her!”

 

“Impossible,” Richard calls cheerfully from in front of them.

 

Santana turns to Dani, eyes wide, and her girlfriend grimaces.

 

“We should’ve gone to yours,”

 

**A/N: Okay, so I’m planning to continue the visit in the next chapter, so suggestions are welcome :)** **  
**

**I’m not sure when I can next update; like I said, these next two weeks are going to be hell, so I’ll write when I can.**

**OK BYE**


	12. Meet the Parents

**A/N: Helllooooo there. I have some time inbetween horse-riding lessons and revision sessions to write another chapter, because quite frankly I need a break from the real world.**

**I will be continuing the visit to Dani’s house in this chapter, and then I guess I’ll just see where this fic goes. I’m really enjoying writing it and if you guys will let me, I’d love to keep going until I run out of ideas :)** **  
**

The trip back to Dani’s place is awkward to say the least. And slightly traumatic.

 

Richard tells them that since they live in the Midlands, the drive would take hours, so they’ve organised a portkey instead. They all walk for about ten minutes down crowded London streets, and part of Santana misses living here.

 

Eventually they turn down a small alleyway, Richard promising the portkey is just around the corner, and Santana tries not to drown in bad memories. She grips Dani’s hand tightly, and sees her girlfriend glance worriedly at her, understanding immediately.

 

It’s stupid, Santana thinks, mentally berating herself. Just because of what happened in that one alley all those years ago, doesn’t mean there’s a murderer lurking in every side street. Dani smoothes her thumb over Santana’s hand, and it anchors her; stops her from turning tail and running back into the comforting hustle and bustle that is London.

 

“Here we are,” Kate announces, and it’s the first thing she’s said since her comments at King’s Cross.

 

Santana looks to the floor and sees an empty can of tomato soup. It’s pretty ordinary and inconspicuous, even for a portkey, and Santana just hopes they’ve stopped at the right can of soup, or this could be quite embarrassing.

 

Richard checks his watch, “Okay then, it’s due to leave in a couple of minutes,” he tells them.

 

Kate glances down at Santana and Dani’s joined hands, and frowns. Dani shoots a glare at her mother, and Kate huffs before pointedly averting her gaze. Richard grimaces at them, and mouths ‘sorry’.

 

“Are you okay?” Dani whispers, noticing Santana’s deer-in-the-headlights look again.

 

Santana takes a deep breath and nods. She can handle this place; it’s not like she’s going to be here for much longer. At Richard’s cue, she touches a forefinger to the can, holding her luggage and caged owl in the other hand, and waits for the famed portkey-tug.

 

Presently, she feels it, and she closes her eyes as she feels the ground drop away, Dani pressed into her side, always her anchor.

 

*****

 

Dani lives in a rural area, in a small cluster of houses that doesn’t quite qualify as a village. Santana’s first thought is that it’s very remote. She wonders if Kate had picked it out.

 

Her house is nice; a well-sized two-storey building, with a large garden hidden by a group of trees. Dani’s told her about it being a pretty good place to practice Quidditch, as long as she doesn’t fly too high.

 

The inside of the house is comfortable, but something it stopping it from reaching ‘homey’ levels. But it’s fine.

 

“How come your sister isn’t here?” Santana asks.

 

Dani’s older sister Jessica had left Howgarts a few years ago, and now works in the Ministry of Magic. She’s part of the sports section, and had been an excellent Quidditch player for Ravenclaw in her time at school. It had been because of her that Dani had started playing Quidditch. But Jessica had given it up after she’d left school; had decided she’d wanted to work in an office instead.

 

Dani doesn’t, and Santana knows this. She knows her girlfriend wants to become a professional Quidditch player, and play for England one day; despite Kate’s wishes to the contrary.

 

“She doesn’t finish work until later; she tried to get the evening off but they didn’t let her. She’s looking forward to meeting you properly,” Dani says, dumping her stuff in the hallway as she closes the front door behind them.

 

“Danielle,” Kate says, and Dani scowls almost imperceptibly at the use of her full name, “why don’t you help your father with Santana’s things, and I’ll show her to the guest room?”

 

Kate puts emphasis on the words ‘guest room’, and gives Santana a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. Dani shoots Santana a nervous look before complying.

 

Kate leads Santana up the staircase, pointing out that the master bedroom is between the guest room and Dani’s room, and that she’s a ‘light sleeper’. Santana turns red, and garbles her understanding.

 

The guest room is a modest size, almost like her own room at home, and the window looks out over the garden. It’s a pleasant room, but the introduction is marred somewhat when Kate turns to her and says, “I hope for your sake that you truly care about my wayward daughter. Because as much as I wish she’d have picked someone… different, it looks like she’s in love with you,”

 

Santana doesn’t know what to say to that, or whether she should be offended by the ‘different’ comment, so she just nods, wide-eyed.

 

“And if you hurt her,” Kate continues, “I may not be a wizard, but don’t think I’ll hesitate to inflict some serious damage on you,”

 

Santana gulps and nods again, “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she manages hoarsely, and Kate nods her satisfaction before turning on her heel and stalking away. Santana lets out a breath and leans against the doorframe, amazed that she’s made it out of that exchange alive. Dani and Richard join her after a few minutes, with her bags, and Santana helps them put her suitcase in the corner and her owl on the dresser.

 

“You can let him out at night, if you want,” Richard says quietly, seeing Santana’s numb movements. He excuses himself, and immediately Dani grabs her hands and sits her down on the bed.

 

“What did she say to you?” she asks worriedly.

 

“Um, the whole ‘if you hurt her I’ll hurt you’ speech,” Santana says, still a bit shell-shocked.

 

“And?” Dani prompts, knowing there’s more. She always knows when there’s more.

 

“She said she wishes you were dating someone ‘different’”, Santana makes the air quotes as she says it, “Oh, and she called you wayward,”

 

“’Different?’” Dani says lowly, and Santana knows her girlfriend’s pissed off, “Who the hell does she think she is?”

 

Santana shrugs, “It’s okay, really,”

 

“No it’s not!” Dani raises her voice, eyes narrowed, “she has no right to judge you before she’s even gotten to know you!”

 

Dani is fuming, body tensed like she’s about to march downstairs and give her mother a piece of her mind. Santana puts a hand on her cheek, forcing her girlfriend to look at her properly.

 

“Babe,” that never fails to get Dani’s attention, “Seriously, I’m fine. I guess I’ll just have to prove her wrong,”

 

Dani sighs and nods, the fight leaving her, “I just wish she was more accepting. It doesn’t make any sense, though; she’s never said anything homophobic before,”

 

“Who knows,” Santana shrugs, “maybe it’s not about me being a girl, maybe she just hates me on principle,”

 

She’s trying to lighten the mood, and Dani just smiles tiredly, and leans forward to kiss her. Santana melts into the kiss, bringing her other hand up to thread through Dani’s long hair, and grazing her teeth over her bottom lip.

 

Santana breaks away reluctantly when she is and who could walk in, and instead just leans her forehead against Dani’s, running her fingers through the caramel-brown strands that frame her face.

 

“I still think your new hair is super hot,” she says, even though Dani’s had it this way for about a month.

 

Dani chuckles, “I know, San,” she says, “you’ve told me that pretty much every day,”

 

“Well, that thought hits me pretty much every day,” Santana replies, mock-affronted, “so excuse me for paying my gorgeous girlfriend compliments,”

 

She pecks Dani’s lips for emphasis, “Come on, let’s brave your dad and the she-devil again,”

 

Dani snorts with laughter, and makes a point of holding Santana’s hand all the way there.

 

*****

 

Later that evening, Jessica arrives home.

 

Dani’s older sister is twenty-one, compared to Dani’s sixteen, and Santana hasn’t seen the older Harper sibling in about three years. She doubts Jessica even remembers or recognises her.

 

“Oh my God, Santana Lopez, right?” she says, as soon as she catches sight of them.

 

Santana nods, taking in Jessica’s appearance, which hasn’t changed that much since her Hogwarts days. Still quite tall, with her mother’s blonde hair and green eyes, extraordinarily delicate-looking, as if you could snap her in half. But Santana knows Jessica is tougher than she looks; she’d taken quite a few hits playing Quidditch over the years.

 

“Dani’s told me so much about you,” Jessica says, ignoring Santana’s outstretched hand and pulling her into a hug instead, “she’s so happy now,” she whispers into Santana’s ear, “thank you,”

 

“I – I didn’t think you’d remember me,” Santana stutters as Jessica pulls back and examines Santana at arm’s length.

 

“’Course I do,” the blonde says cheerfully, “you were always gazing at my little sister, how could I not remember that face?”

 

Santana blushes, again, and Dani rubs her arm sympathetically, appreciating just how weird her family is.

 

“Is dinner nearly ready?” Jessica asks, realising she’s embarrassed Santana, and turning her attention to food.

 

“Almost,” Kate says from the kitchen, “be patient, Jessica,”

 

Jessica scowls, and manages to look remarkably like her sister as she does so.

 

*****

 

Kate has made lasagne for dinner, with garlic bread, and it’s actually amazing. Santana is the first to clean her plate, shortly followed by both Dani and Jessica (who is insisting on being called Jess) on either side of her.

 

“You liked it?” Richard asks her.

 

Santana nods enthusiastically, “Yeah, it’s actually one of my favourites,”

 

She’s not sure, but she thinks she sees Kate try to hide a smile.

 

“Danielle, can you help me with the dishes please?” Kate asks.

 

Dani nods, and squeezes Santana’s hand under the table, “You’re doing great,” she mouths at Santana.

 

Jess offers to help Santana unpack her suitcase, and Santana accepts, but she feels Jess isn’t just saying that to be helpful.

 

She’s proven correct when as soon as they’re in Santana’s room, Jess says, “I don’t know what Kate has said to you, but I apologise on her behalf. She doesn’t speak for the rest of us, by the way,”

 

“It’s fine, she just made it clear she wanted Dani to ‘pick someone different’, whatever that means,” Santana shrugs.

 

Jess makes a ‘hmmm’ sound, “I’m afraid mum’s rather scared of Dani, if I’m honest,”

 

“How can she be scared of her? Dani wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Santana’s confused.

 

“No, you misunderstand me, Santana,” Jess explains, “Dani’s always been a bit more rebellious than me; ever since we were little. Mum couldn’t control her, and Dani couldn’t control her metamorphagus powers. Growing up was tough on her,”

 

Santana already knows it had taken Dani a while to master her powers, but she’s never realised how someone could be scared of a metamorphagus, “She described Dani as wayward earlier,”

 

Jess rolls her eyes, “Mum didn’t take it too well when Dani told us she was gay. I mean, she got over it eventually, but I guess you being here reminds her of it, and it’s another thing about Dani that she can’t change,”

 

Santana’s blood begins to boil, “She wants to change Dani?”

 

Jess nods, “I’m afraid so. She doesn’t like that Dani’s a metamorphagus, or a lesbian, or that she wants to play Quidditch professionally,”

 

“So she wants Dani to be more like…” Santana trails off, not sure if it’s okay to say it.

 

“Like me,” Jess finishes for her, “Mum wants a carbon copy of her ‘perfect daughter’,” she does the air quotes, “I don’t think she realises that Dani actually wants to be her own person instead,”

 

“I’m guessing Kate likes to control people, and if she can’t control someone, then she doesn’t warm to them,” Santana mutters, beginning to understand.

 

“Now you’re starting to get the insanity that is my mother,” Jess deadpans, “Yeah, plus I don’t think she likes that you’re a Slytherin,”

 

“What?”

 

“She never went to Hogwarts, and she has a very one-dimensional view of the houses. She’s of the opinion that every Hufflepuff is stupid and that every Slytherin is evil in some way,”

 

“That’s ridiculous,” Santana says. Brittany’s a Hufflepuff, and she isn’t stupid. Neither is that Marley Rose girl on the Quidditch team. And Santana isn’t evil, she’s sure of that. Cunning, maybe, but certainly not evil.

 

“Anyway, I’d just ignore her, if I were you,” Jess says, “Dad seems to like you, and as long as you don’t hurt my baby sister, I like you too,”

 

“I promise you, hurting Dani is the _last_ thing I want to do,” Santana tells her.

 

“I know,” Jess says softly, “and it’s the last thing she wants to do to you,”

 

*****

 

The rest of the two weeks at Dani’s house get progressively better. Santana spends her days playing Quidditch with Dani in the back garden and going for walks in the neighbouring fields, trading soft kisses every time they stop. Evenings are watching TV and even helping Kate to cook dinner. Santana even feels normal sometimes.

 

Things with Kate are slowly improving, and they even manage a civil conversation or two before her visit is up. Kate still doesn’t like her, Santana knows that, but perhaps the woman doesn’t hate her anymore.

 

The last night of Santana’s stay arrives all too quickly for her liking, and Santana’s faced with the realisation that she won’t see Dani until she comes to stay with her and her mother the next month. Words can’t express how much she’ll miss her until then, and she knows it would be pointless to try, so she just cuddles up next to Dani on the sofa while her girlfriend presses a kiss to her forehead.

 

It’s Jess who gives Santana the best farewell present she possible could have.

 

When Dani’s parents are asleep, she sneaks Santana into Dani’s bedroom, explaining that she’s cast the muffliato charm over the house. She leaves them with a wink, and Santana would be dying of embarrassment if she weren’t so grateful.

 

Dani beckons her over, and Santana spends the longest amount of time kissing her deeply, revelling in the butterflies and the simmering fire she never fails to feel, which turns into marking her where no-one will see, which turns into whispering “I love you,” over and over again, trailing her lips over every centimetre of Dani’s body, the fire within her burning hotter and hotter as their breathing grows heavier.

 

It turns into memorizing Dani’s intoxicating taste as Santana goes down on her, Dani trying and failing to stifle the breathy moans she’s making. Santana gets her own release, more than once, but tonight is about showing Dani just how much she’ll miss her, and exactly what she has to look forward to when they meet again.

 

**A/N: So I felt it wasn’t the right time to go into full-on smut, but I guess there’s plenty more opportunities for that, right? ;)**

**Oh, and I only just realised half way through writing this chapter that the first names I thought of for Dani’s parents, Richard and Kate, are the first names of Castle and Beckett from the TV show _Castle._ Oops.**

**I’d love suggestions about what you’d like to see next, and thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to review, I love you all :)**


End file.
